Bleed Cherry Blossoms
by Yuhi Sakura
Summary: Sakura's whole world was nothing more than an illusion...set by evil she can't comprehend. But light comes from the oddest places and people...silver crashes with pink, blue and green combine...blood is spilled in love and hate.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One: Settlement A: Infiltrated. Status: Failed **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood**_

"Shizune!" Sakura screamed, watching her torso fly from her body, blood painting the ground with sickly gore. Her shocked, glassy-wide eyes stared blankly at her, her mouth opened in a silent scream.

Still warm crimson splashed against her, her scream replacing the empty void left by Shizune's wordless cry. She reached for the corpse's hand, trying to catch the body before it could strike the ground. For one horrible instant, she thought she felt her mentor's fingers tighten on her own. But it was only the sporadic twitch of dying nerves. In horror, she pulled away, letting the chest and head of her friend slide across the ground in a slick of red.

Rage took her, rode her, engulfed her… a red veil dropped across her eyes and her heart throbbed harder in her chest, the pulse palpable in her slender throat, in the high point of her thighs…

She screamed; her rage finding substance as her fist collided with the nearest creature. The wraith shrieked, its chest caving in beneath her hands. Her free hand came up, wrenching it even further over her fist by its jacket. Blood, bone, and flesh exploded over her, its body flying apart.

"Die!" Sakura screamed, wrenching the neck of the next closest. Bone snapped easily beneath her palm and she let the limp body drop at her feet. With a howl, she kicked the corpse's stomach in, venting her wrath and her sorrow.

Dropping to her knees, she screamed out again. She didn't even know why…it just felt right to add her voice to that of the dead, dying, and fighting outside, to cry for the dead and to mingle her blood with the fallen.

"Enough of this foolishness, child."

Her head snapped towards the lethal hiss, watching as an eloquently dressed man drifted from the shadows, tossing his ebony hair from his shoulders fluidly. His suit, navy blue and tailored, was stained with blooms of crimson. His hands were gloved in white…and dripping gore.

"I will make your death easy." He stated, bringing his hand to his mouth and wrapping his tongue around the slender digit and lapping up the crimson fluid.

Sakura ran, turning her head from the monster and running through the flames and blood and smoke of her village. She ran, tearing past the corpses and the feeding monsters. She ran with her eyes closed against the images of her friends and family bodies, floating in pools of scarlet.

'It's over…it's all over.' She thought, hot tears running down her pallid cheeks as she fled into the wilderness.

* * *

She ran, oblivious to the branches tearing at her face and bare arms. She ignored the snap of twigs on her cheeks and the thorns that bled her mercilessly. She tore through the underbrush, feeling the monster's hot breath on her neck…his hands groping for her.

She tripped, a root catching her foot and flinging her against a nearby tree. She drove her nails into the bark, throwing herself against it and burying her face in her arms.

"It's alright. It's all over now."

Hot breath fell against her neck, clawed hands taking her arms and pinning her. The resulting blow on the back of her neck was far too gentle to be fatal, she realized dimly as his hand pulled back and the darkness took her, could they show her no mercy…could they not simply kill her?

* * *

The whining creak of the chains brought her to, the shuddering of the shackles suspending her arms above her head and her feet below her. The pale moonlight filtering into the room afforded her a glimpse of the ruins they had selected for her.

"It would seem you've finally come to."

A slender hand ran up her chest, long fingers tracing her jaw line and passing lightly over her lips; and then pulled back to impart a vicious blow against her cheek, a thin tendril of blood running from the resultant wound.

His white glove gathered the blood, his lengthy fingers coming to his mouth, his red tongue lapping up the liquid.

Even as she was, there was something sensual about the way he took in her blood, about the careful deliberateness he displayed in his sampling, in the way he appraised her. But there was also the revulsion welling up in stomach, the bitter bile gathering in the back of her throat and the tears clinging to the back of her eyes.

"Why?" She asked, her tears finally coming.

"Because we could." He replied simply.

"Monster." She wanted to scream it at him, but it was barely a whisper…weak and without conviction.

"But it will matter little, Terran, to you here very shortly." He replied.

He turned away, flicking his wrist off-handedly with the command, "Lower her."

The chains creaked in protest as the feeds pulled her hands down, stretching them out, and spreading her legs. She tried to draw her limbs back in but it was no used and a moment later, her neck was exposed by a vicious tug on her hair.

"Take her."

Glowing red eyes fell hungrily on her pulsing wrists, on the throbbing artery in her thighs and the throb in her bare neck. And then they attacked. They faded into shadows one moment, the next their clawed hands were upon her. She felt their fangs on her skin, the delicate pinpricks of the modified canines and their hot tongues on her bare flesh.

"No!" She screamed, throwing back her head.

"I suggest you step away from the girl."

Her tear-blurred eyes fell on the man now materializing from the shadows.

He was stoic in the command, a strange weapon leveled at the vampires, his silver hair forming a shining halo around his slender face, his cerulean blue eyes gleaming.

"A priest from the Vatican?" The amused vampire asked, his fangs glistening faintly in the moonlight.

"Under the authority of the Vatican I hereby place you under arrest for murder in the first degree in innumerable counts."

"Kill him." The vampire responded with a wave of his hand.

They withdrew from her in a blur of motion, their red eyes leaving vaporous trails like their bodies behind them.

The man stepped right, letting a vampire fly by him and firing off a round. A second came at his back but he was too fast, firing off another one. The third came from his right; he spun again, bringing his gun into the back of its head and firing.

"Take one more step, _Father_, and the girl dies." He stated, his nails elongating and sliding against the skin of her neck. She gave a choked cry, her pulse thrumming against the razor sharp talons.

"Let her go." He demanded, leveling his weapon at him.

"Stay where you are." He hissed thinly.

He looked at his feet in a caricature of defeat, finding exactly what he was looking for: a particularly sharp rock.

In a single movement, he snapped his foot up, driving the shard towards the vampire's exposed face. Instinctively, the vampire's hands shot up to guard his face. He leveled his gun and fired.

A projectile buffeted the air beside her, showering her in gore the next fraction of a second as the vampire's corpse flew back.

She didn't even see the priest approach her until he spoke.

"Hold on and I'll have you free." He stated, aiming and firing four times. The chains snapped apart with the metallic grate of fracturing metal and she fell forward into his arms.

"Who are you?" She asked as he wrapped his jacket around her naked body.

"Someone who has come to save the lives of humans." He replied.

* * *

_**TBC**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two: The Vatican's AX. **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood!**_

_**Notes: Many of the religious quotes and the like in this chapter come from the preachers at First Family Church and the sources they draw on when organizing sermons: namely, MySpace and Face Book. Also, huge thanks to Nightwish, Sonata Artica, and Joan Osborne for their respective songs: Ever Dream, Victoria's Secret, and What If God was one of us? Also, props to Bloody Trinity Remix and Broken Wings, the opening and ending for Trinity Blood.**_

Sakura clung to him, her fingers digging into the thick fabric of his shirt. Her tears ran freely down her pale face.

"There, there, you're safe now." He said, gently wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

* * *

"Here." He stated, holding out a piece of bread and a bowl of stew.

She accepted them silently, balancing the food on her lap uncomfortably.

"You still haven't told me your name." She said, her eyes cast down.

"Abel Nightroad, traveling priest for the Vatican."

"Vatican?" She asked lamely.

"There'll be time for discussion later. First, you should eat." He stated.

She nodded numbly, spooning the thick liquid mechanically into her mouth.

"It's good." She said, smiling sadly at him, tears rolling back down her face.

He looked on as she returned to the meager meal, her shoulders shuddering.

For the most part, he averted his eyes; it was unlikely she wanted his sympathy and even less likely she wanted comfort in her acute grief. Very few would accept comfort in a moment so intimate…

He saw her shiver from the corner of his eye, inadequately protected from the late winter chill in the tattered garment she had managed to salvage from the torn cloth of her previous ensemble. He frowned, pulling off his own jacket and laying it across her shoulders.

She glanced up, slightly startled by the sudden motion and the kind spirit backing it.

"I've never caught a cold wearing that." He smiled, attempting lamely to cheer her up.

She tried to smile, but for some reason dissolved into tears. It reminded her so much of the times Naruto had given her his jacket or Sasuke had laid his spare shirt over her.

"I'm sorry." She sobbed, not even quite sure why she was apologizing.

He sighed to himself in his own helplessness; there was nothing he could say to comfort her. She had lost everything in a single, fell blow that she might never recover from. He knew, quite intimately, in fact, that physical wounds healed (some flawlessly), but emotional and psychological injuries rarely closed and _always_ left ugly scars.

And then in occurred to him that, yes, there was nothing _he_ could say…but there was someone who could. He knelt down beside her, taking her hands in his.

"Please, allow me to pray for you." He said.

"Pray…" She trailed of in shock at the perceptiveness of the gesture; naturally, she was familiar with prayer---they had many gods and goddesses and many looked over exclusively the men and women of combat…people like her who might not see another sunrise or set.

"Yes." He replied with a warm smile.

She nodded weakly, leaning against him slightly for support as he spoke.

"Our Father who art in Heaven, praise be your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done here on Earth as in Heaven. Lord, I pray you would send comfort for this young woman. She is lost, Lord, and needs Your guidance. Allow her to forgive herself and to forgive those who have so grievously trespassed against her as You forgive those who trespass against You. In the name of the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen."

"I've never heard it put that way." She whispered, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You haven't?" He asked, slightly concerned.

But he thought better than to speak of religion at the moment; she had grown in a society and culture radically different from that of his own. There would be time for her to learn their ways, if she so chose, and to assimilate their teachings. But, as someone had so brilliantly quoted several centuries prior to Armageddon, "So many people are busy dialing four-one-one that they forget to respond to nine-one-one".

"I'm sorry…I'm so tired…" She mumbled vaguely.

"Don't be." He smiled, helping her lie down beside the fire, his jacket wholly covering her tiny frame.

* * *

He wondered away only briefly to find more logs and to make his reports back to Kate, aboard the _Iron Maiden_, now on route to rendezvous with them. And he always kept her in his sights, able to pin his eyes to her in an instant.

With a faint sigh, he flicked the radio receiver to 'on'. Naturally, Kate responded immediately.

"Status?"

"With respect to the mission, well."

"What's wrong?" Kate asked, her voice softening.

"We were too late, Kate…there was only one survivor." He sighed.

"The odds were never good, Father." Kate replied.

"That maybe true, but I can't help but wonder what would have happened if we'd been a few hours earlier."

"We can't dwell in the past, Father."

He sighed; she was right, no matter how much he wanted to refute the claim.

"Would you patch me through to Caterina?" He finally asked.

"Certainly."

Her voice was replaced with a static hiss and a moment later, Caterina's voice filled the earpiece.

"Abel? What seems so urgent?" She asked.

"There was only one survivor." He replied.

"Unfortunate." She sighed in the same monotone that she frequently used when it was necessary to suppress her emotion for the sake of their mission…for the sake of possible peace between the races. "Return immediately to the Vatican with her. She can decide her own fate at a later time."

"Sister Kate is already on route." He assured her.

"Good." Caterina replied as she fell off the link.

Abel sighed privately as he pulled the earpiece off and slipped it back into his shirt.

His eyes flickered to her and he wondered how she had survived. She seemed so small and fragile, but knew the opposite must be true if she had lasted so long in the carnage.

But God worked in mysterious ways.

* * *

It was the thunderous roar of the airship that woke her; instinctively, she scrambled to her feet, chakra coursing into her fist as she eyes the behemoth. It was almost as massive as the floating city, last lineage of the Cloud nin.

"It's alright." Abel assured her, his hand coming across her shoulder.

"What is it?" She demanded.

"Um…well, it would be your equivalent to a commanding unit in an attack. That is our battle ship, _Iron Maiden_." He replied uncertainly.

Sakura stumbled back, bumping into him as it descended and a platform was lowered.

"I promise you're safe with me." He told her, stooping slightly to her meet her emerald green eyes.

She didn't know why, but she trusted him…she had trusted him from the moment his eyes had met her own…trusted him from the second he ordered the vampires away from her…from the moment his gun had been leveled in her defense…

She nodded, letting him help her onto the platform.

As it pulled up from the ground, she saw Konoha---but it wasn't a prospering village anymore…it was a dead, hollow husk, burned from the inside out. She knew, also, that the other nations hadn't survived…because she had heard their screams over the radio that had been in her ear. It was shortly before she saw Shizune die that she ripped it off, unable to take the vicarious torture.

"Good-bye." She whispered, tears streaming down her face.

Abel's hand came across her shoulder, squeezing slightly as he said a silent prayer for their souls.

And with that, they ascended into the belly of the ship. The thin light of light died away as the airlocks activated and Sakura stepped off.

"Father Nighroad." The acknowledgement accompanied the appearance of an attractive strawberry blonde from thin air…and who was about as solid as thin air itself.

Sakura's training kicked in instantly, her hands flying up in a release seal, "Kai!"

"Wait!" Abel cried, moving between them, "I probably should have mentioned that Kate is a hologram…a picture made of light and color." His hands came up in a gesture of placation, his smile sheepish.

"A…hologram…" Sakura trailed off with a sigh…she obviously had a lot to learn.

"Father Nightroad, what are our current plans for her?" Kate asked.

Sakura hissed to herself privately; she wasn't a child and if _Sister_ Kate had a question _about_ her, it should have been directed _at_ her.

It wasn't until her other persona kicked (literally) some sense into her head that she realized Kate was likely trying to be kind: she probably saw a traumatized girl, not a warrior when she glanced at Sakura---she didn't imagined the oversized clothing Abel provided (kindly, of course; she was far from complaining, only stating facts) helped her overall appearance.

"I don't know, Sister." Abel responded, turning his blue eyes onto Sakura, "But I think _she_ might have an idea."

Sakura smiled, grateful for his perceptiveness.

"I'm a fighter." She replied simply.

"Good." Abel said.

"What does she know of the church policies?" Kate asked.

Abel visibly blanched, coughing uncomfortably into his fist as he mumbled something, his glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose.

"I'm sorry, _Father_, what was that?" Kate replied dangerously.

"Um…well, you see…she had…uh, well…no formal knowledge or training…of any kind…"

Kate sighed, turning to Sakura and demanding to know how determined she was.

Sakura's instincts, beat down by the trauma of the last few hours, rose to the surface. There was one thing the kunoichi couldn't overlook: a challenge. It was that will that kept her alive since Sasuke and Naruto had both left her and Kakashi had forgotten her…only this time, they weren't coming home. She knew that…and some very tiny portion of her even accepted it---after all, how many comrades had she seen die before her eyes before the vampires ever got there?

And this was survival: she clung to the first semblance of normalcy that she came across---the potential for a life of combat…the only life she knew. And, selfishly, she clung to Abel, who reminded her of several people…though she couldn't remember who, because she didn't want to…it was still too painful, the wounds were still too fresh.

"More determined than you will ever be." She replied.

Kate, surprisingly, took no offense to this, but smirked knowingly as she began to pull up screens around the kunoichi.

"Memorize it. All of it." Kate stated simply, motioning for Abel to sit down beside her and coach her.

* * *

Abel watched in a mixture of amazement in horror and astonishment as Sakura worked her way through the texts, each imprinting itself firmly in the bedrock of her mind.

It wasn't even the ability itself he found as amazing as her ability to _perform_ it: She had just lost everything she had ever known and loved, and yet she was memorizing ancient texts and learning passages in a language she didn't even know had existed until ten minutes earlier.

Then again, people did odd things when they were hurt so badly and so unexpectedly; he himself had mourned the death of his lover for more than nine hundred years before going briefly insane and then snapping back to himself.

But the river of denial flowed deep, and it seemed especially profound in her…in the way she shifted between inconsolable and completely fine, given he knew nothing about her outside of the situation.

"Uh…Sakura?" He began hesitantly.

Her eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had just been brought back from something unpleasant. Her head turned slowly to him, her eyes still on the screens even if it was plain that she wasn't paying attention for the moment.

"Yes?"

"I…uh…never mind. I'm sorry to have interrupted you." He replied, deciding better than to say anything for the moment.

She nodded, looking rather…disappointed? He really couldn't tell…

"Master…"

She blushed, realizing exactly what she had just said.

Abel blanched visibly, but nodded for her to continue.

"I meant…would you be my new sensei…uh…teacher?"

She knew she was being selfish again, clinging to the first person whom resembled the loved ones she had lost…but she knew she needed to…for her sanity's sake.

"If you would have me." He smiled back.

She smiled back, a tear running down her face; she couldn't help but feel she was betraying those she lost by moving so quickly to another.

'Shut up. This is necessary and we both know it.'

Sakura growled, suppressing the desire to drown out her split persona.

'Don't even start with me, Girly. We both know who would win.' Her inner self snapped.

Sakura sighed, silently agreeing with herself, in an odd way.

'I'll help you…' Her inner self trailed off suddenly, 'but I can't forever.'

"I know." Sakura whispered.

Abel's deep blue eyes softened at that and she wondered if he knew what she was thinking.

* * *

She fell asleep sometime around midnight in front of the holographic screens, Latin running through her head for a short time.

But only for a very short time…

_The fire cleared to reveal the bloodless face and white, dead eyes of Sasuke. He moaned something guttural as he grabbed her wrist and yanked her close, her back to his chest, his cold tongue running across the curve of her neck. _

_"You left us." _

_She could just see him smirking in her mind, his tongue running along his lips in a sick rendition of Orochimaru. _

_"No!" She screamed, writhing weakly. _

_"Now you'll have to pay…in blood." _

_She felt his fangs prickle along her neck and she screamed. _

Sakura bolted up, cold sweat dripping from her face and chest, the bitter cry still lodged in throat. Her breath came in ragged sobs more than gasps and she buried her head in her arms to stifle the sound.

For a moment, she just panted to regain her breath. But after that, she rose and walked past the screens to the single window overlooking the nocturnal forest below them.

Something flickered vaguely below them and she stumbled back from the sudden flash of brilliant blue light, pulsing in electrical waves.

"Sasuke!" She cried, pressing herself flush against the glass.

Then she turned, her back to the panel and she took a deep breath---he was dead.

"I'm going crazy…" She said mildly, massaging her temple.

She screamed as a hand came across her arm.

Abel stumbled back, tripping over a piece of equipment as he did. Sakura cried out again in surprise, trying to catch his arm. But he outweighed her by at least twice her own body weight and simply dragged her down on top of him.

"I'm sorry!" She cried out.

"It's no problem." He assured her as he tried to rise. In the end, it resulted in her legs slipping along one either side of his lean frame.

"FATHER!"

Sakura yelped at the sudden appearance of a furious Kate, whose eyes were literally burning with lethal intent as she stared down Abel.

"Sister Kate! This isn't what it looks like!" He yelled back defensively.

"Of course it isn't, you bumbling idiot!" She shrieked back as Sakura scrambled up.

Her gaze shifted back to the window and her mind wandered, catching bits of Kate's lecture ("immature pervert", "she may not know better but you do", "idiot" and the like).

She wondered, just vaguely, if anyone else had managed to survive…there were others stronger than she was in the village and even on her own squad…maybe…

She shook her head furiously, clearing the thoughts from her mind.

* * *

Sakura knew they had reached Rome in the morning from the sheer look of relief on everyone's face; they had made it home…

Home…

"Miss Sakura, perhaps you should clean up." Abel suggested gently from beside her.

"Agreed." Kate replied over the static that accompanied her usual surprise entrance.

Sakura nodded, allowing Kate to show her to the bathroom where someone had already laid out an outfit: a white, long sleeved top that fell to her mid-thigh and black pants with heels.

She showered quickly, rinsing her hair more than washing it before she dressed. She just left her limp pink hair down, deciding it wasn't worth it to tie back.

By the time she had returned, Kate was directing Abel to one of the lifts. She just motioned for Sakura to follow.

The kunoichi complied, standing next to Abel and gripping his sleeve for support as the lift jarred momentarily before leveling off and down.

It hit solid ground within a few seconds and Abel helped her over the rail, catching her as she tripped in the heels.

"Now, there's only one person you need to worry about: Caterina." He told her as she dusted herself off.

She nodded; working with powerful women was her specialty.

Abel flashed his badge as they passed security, assuring them she was his guest as he did.

As they walked, he briefed her as best he could, stopping several dozen halls down in front of a massive set of double doors.

"Are you ready?" He asked, "You are absolutely sure this is what you want?"

Sakura nodded---a life of fighting was what she had been born and bred for. She didn't regret it or harbor any bitterness towards it, but a life of combat was all she could imagine.

He nodded, sadly almost, as he opened the doors.

"Ah, Abel." Caterina stated, her eyes flickering briefly to Sakura.

"Caterina." He smiled.

"I see you brought a guest."

He just kept on smiling.

Sakura, looking at them, immediately felt like she was intruding on something private. But just as quickly, their knowing gazes broke apart and reality seemed to catch up with them.

"Abel, I received your written brief last night." She began, her eyes on Sakura, "However, I think it would be prudent if I spoke to her alone."

Abel nodded, exiting the room without so much as a backwards glance.

Sakura watched him leave, swallowing hard as she turned to Caterina.

"It's my understanding that you were the only survivor."

Sakura replied, "To my knowledge."

Caterina clicked her tongue in sympathy, "And what do you want from us?"

"I want to fight back."

"That's not my organization's only intention."

"I never said that was my only skill."

Caterina smiled in approval, her blue eyes glittering knowingly.

"And do you believe in God?"

Sakura hesitated. Did she? She had once believed in many gods and goddesses…but they seemed to die back in Konoha with everything else she knew. Did she believe? She wanted to; the idea was appealing to her---forgiveness for her wrongs, justification for her rights…salvation for her lost loved ones and the potential to one day be reunited with them.

"Yes." She finally said.

Caterina ignored the momentary indecision and simply looked at her for what seemed like an eternity.

"You seem sincere." The Duchess Milan replied.

"I am." Sakura assured her.

"Then let me issue this last warning: we will push you hard."

Sakura smiled at the woman so like Tsunade, at the memory of her former mentor, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Then welcome to the AX."

* * *

Caterina sat in office shortly after Sakura's departure, sipping at her tea.

She had never promoted someone so quickly; but the girl seemed sincere and there was something in her eyes that Caterina instantly liked: an unwavering inner strength and tremendous potential. There was no hate for the incident that had brought her to them, only a desire for an explanation, if the Duchess had gauged her right.

Besides, a certain silver-haired priest needed a new partner since the promotion of his former, red-headed nun.

* * *

It wasn't until she was walking down the marble adorned hallways and found herself horribly lost that the shock of the events of the previous twenty-something hours hit her.

_Hard_.

The resulting dizziness forced her against a marble statue for support, her hand clamped over her mouth as tears poured from her eyes. Violent sobs racked her body.

It was all gone…all of it…for good.

"What do we have here?!"

The shock of the intrusive voice momentarily pulled her from her sorrow and she jerked up, ready for a fight---she didn't know why, even. It wasn't in the least hostile: a bit older than Abel, his hand around a cane that he didn't seem to need, a pipe in his free hand.

"Ah! The new girl!" He stated, more to himself that her, it seemed.

She nodded, unsure of what else to do with that statement.

"Father William! Do not antagonize the poor child!"

He stumbled back from the hologram that suddenly materialized beside him, her fists balled at her sides.

"I'm doing no such thing." He replied.

Kate proceeded to give him a short, to the point, but fairly blunt lecture on the need for good etiquette and manners and the importance of not startling females who had already had a bad day. He even tried to defend himself for the first few sentences, but when it became clear Kate would simply drown him out with her own voice, he shut up, nodding in placation.

"Are you alright?" Kate asked, peering down at her as she finished the speech.

Sakura mumbled over her hand, again fixed over her mouth.

"What was that?" Kate asked, leaning down to better hear her.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Sakura replied.

"Oh!" Kate gasped, "Follow me."

* * *

Kate stood patiently outside of the door, listening to the girl's violent retching for some time. She was just starting to get genuinely worried when she heard the faucet in the bathroom twist one. Water ran for a time while, Kate assumed, she cleaned herself up. But when she still didn't emerge, Kate considered getting help.

After all, she was just a bunch of colorful photons with a human brain and spirit behind them. But if the girl really was in trouble, she wouldn't be able to do much than get more corporeal help.

"Sister Kate, may I inquire as to your current position? Today's agenda indicates you should be aboard Iron Maiden making necessary adjustments to the guidance systems."

Kate's initial annoyance with him quickly dissolved when she saw him.

"Father Tres!" She cried.

"Affirmative." He replied.

"Would you check on the girl in there?" She asked.

"Affirmative." He responded, pushing open the bathroom door, ignoring the gender designation sign. After all, he was a bunch of machinery pieced together with some organic tissue, he reasoned.

He emerged a moment later, supporting the sweaty and pale girl with one arm.

"Is she alright?" Kate asked.

"Lack of caloric intake combines with elevates levels of stress have resulted in a weakened system."

Kate sighed to herself, translating his words back into simple English: She was sick from stress.

"Recommended course of action entails rest and the intake of calories."

Kate was just about to respond when Abel interrupted her, appearing from behind them and asking what had happened.

"She isn't feeling well." Kate replied before Tres could go on a ten minute, analytical tirade.

"I am preparing to return her to her quarters." Tres added.

"Can I be of assistance?" Abel asked with his usual goofy grin.

"Yes. Please have some food brought up to her." Kate replied.

"Very well, then." Abel said, turning down the hall as Tres walked up the opposite side and Kate disappeared back into cyberspace.

* * *

She was awake, sitting up in her bed, when he came in carrying a tray of food…simple fare of bread, cheese, fruit, and milk. And she ate methodically as he watched.

She reminded him so much of himself, shortly after Lilith died; when he had locked himself in her tomb for almost a millennia, refusing himself food, water, and sleep and sustaining off the energy of the nano machines in his blood. He had nearly killed himself and it was only because of a band of marauding Methuselah that he survived.

True, he had taken in their blood to quench his thirst but he felt nothing as he did. It was simply automatic…simply numb. And it had been years since then until he allotted himself enjoyment in simple thinks like eating and drinking, hence, comically, his constant lack of funds.

But he had only lost one person…and he had time still to reconcile his sins and repent. But she had lost everything she had known…and her kind did age and die quickly, as Asta had once said.

"Master…"

"Yes?"

"Why did you save me?"

He smiled, "Because you have a friend in me."

Her head snapped up, her eyes finding his, widening at the truth behind his, tears running down her face.

'So much like…like Naruto…'

_**TBC**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three: Survival**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Trinity Blood or Naruto!**_

She buried herself in her studies, the same way she had when Naruto and Sasuke left. She devoted herself entirely to learning the codes of conduct, to memorizing the proper ways to greet high ranking humans and Methuselah (she learned quickly not to use the word 'vampire' to avoid insulting them); to training with the various mentors they sent her. She ate little, choosing not to partake of the social experiences that accompanied meals…experiences that might bring back the memories she tried so hard to suppress. And having done it once before, she found it easier than an outsider might believe it to believe. And sometimes that scared her more than the Methuselah.

* * *

Sakura woke to a beam of sunlight streaming in through her window. Groaning, she pushed her sweat damp hair aside and pushed herself into a sitting position.

Sleep alluded her often…because to sleep was to give up control to your subconscious…to let things surface that were better left buried beneath consciousness. It was like giving her memories free restraint to rape her of what little control and feeling she still had.

She shook her head, fearing her train of thought might lead her down a path she didn't want to go. She got up, knowing that the best way to get over something was to work it off. The sooner her day got started, the sooner she could forget.

But maybe, one day, she could remember without the urge to tear open her own chest.

She pushed her hair away from her face.

It was longer than it had been that day, five months previously, when Abel had saved her. The people she had cut it for were dead now…no reason to hold onto the past, after all.

She crumpled to her knees, burying her face in her hands as she sobbed.

* * *

Sakura eventually picked herself up, the same way she had every day for the last five months, and showered and dressed in the same order she had for the last five months.

Routine kept her from going crazy, the thoughtless habits that filled her day and stopped her from thinking about anything too profound. It was routine that saved her: get up, shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, study the arts of diplomacy and rhetoric, learn the proper use of a gun, study hand-to-hand, memorize the hierarchy of the Empire and the names of important figures, train with various teachers, eat dinner, shower again, go to bed, wake up, shower, get dressed…

She snapped up at the sound of a bird outside of her window, singing quietly to its friends. Her eyes widened as she pulled the curtain back slowly, letting sunlight flood her room again.

She already knew she couldn't continue living in such ordered numbness forever…but she didn't know what else to do.

But she almost wanted to break…because she wanted to feel something again.

* * *

Sakura smoothed the black outfit across her hips. They had been surprisingly accommodating in her desire to maintain her older tastes. In this case, a black skirt with fitted shorts, slit up the front and back, and a black, high-necked, sleeveless shirt. Her hair was suspended in a ponytail, much like Ino's hair used to be…

'No! Don't think.' She told herself, shaking away the sentiment as she jogged across the field.

She jogged right into Tres. Naturally, the blow only fazed her, sending her stumbling back with a slightly bloodied nose.

"Father Tres." She stated in mild shock, her hand over her nose to staunch the flow of blood.

"The Duchess Milan wishes to see you." He stated simply.

"Oh!" Sakura replied, muttering a quick good-bye before she started down the next hall, which opened onto the training area.

Thankfully, the Duchess' office was close and it was short run before she reached the massive double doors.

She rapped lightly on them, received the okay to enter, and did. Slipping inside, she gently closed the door behind her and took her place beside, of all people, Father Nightroad.

"Good to see you, Sister. I assume you studies are going well?"

"Yes, thank you, Lady Caterina." Sakura replied.

"Now, on to business: Lately, there's been a rash of Methuselah and Terran disappearances in and around Istvan."

"Istvan?" Abel muttered, hoping he had heard wrong.

Being the buffer city between the vampire Empire and the Human world, any, even seemingly small, shift could result in full out war between the Vatican and the Empire. That was something he was quite eager to avoid.

"Yes." Caterina sighed, "I want you two to find out what's happening over there and stop it."

* * *

"Hurry up!" Sakura yelled irritably as she dove for the closing train doors, dragging the protesting priest behind her as the doors slammed behind them.

"You can be so impatient sometimes." He stated as he collapsed back against a seat.

"We wouldn't be late if it wasn't for your obsession with milk tea!" She snapped back.

He pouted, averting his eyes and she didn't know if she should feel guilty or victorious.

* * *

It was late night when they finally stepped off the train, the faint hiss of the closing doors fading behind them with the dying roar of the train itself. A white fog had settled over the platform and it was eerily quiet.

"Well, it would appear our greeting train has failed to arrive." He stated, hauling his suitcase up.

"Do you think something happened?"

"Well we won't know until we get there, now will we?" He replied enthusiastically.

She sighed, bowing her head and following after the prancing priest.

* * *

"I am so sorry! I completely forgot I was supposed to meet you!" The nun cried out when they reached the church, were admitted, and explained the situation.

"There, there, it's not a big deal." Abel smiled.

"It's so embarrassing." She replied, hiding her cherry red face.

"We're just glad you're safe." Abel insisted.

"Well, at least let me bring you some food. You can rest in the rooms upstairs while I prepare it." She said, hurrying back down the hall and into the kitchen.

"Well…uh…that was…" He began but by then, Sakura was already half way up the hall.

"Hey! Wait for me!" He cried, scurrying after her and consequently tripping.

Sakura huffed in aggravation; she wasn't even sure what had annoyed her so badly—just that he was a suitable target for her rage. And she was immediately sorry for that thought and made up her mind to make it up to him later when she was less irritated.

She found a room, as the nun directed, and laid her stuff down on the floor, listening briefly to Abel and the Sister converse. Then she went to her window, opened it, and let the fresh air in and sunlight in. Istvan was really quite pretty…but it was the blatant corruption in its people that took away its luster.

She heard a cry and glanced down below to see the police beat against a helpless man…she hadn't even heard a charge read against him…

"Hey! What exactly do you think you're doing!?" She called down to them.

"Oh…Sister…" One trailed off.

"Leave him alone." Sakura stated, watching to make sure the man put some distance between him and police before she pulled herself back inside of the window.

"That was a noble thing to do."

She turned to Abel, who had at some point or another materialized in the doorway.

"No. It was right." She replied, turning her back on him again.

"True." Abel responded thoughtfully.

"Well, in any case," He continued, "We should get down to investigating."

"I was thinking about that. And I think I have a plan." She replied with a smirk.

* * *

She shifted uncomfortably in the bench, feigning fear at being a single female alone on a street in the middle of a city like Istvan.

"Hey there, honey."

She didn't look up, instead cowering slightly in the bench, pulling herself in close.

"Now, now, don't be afraid. We ain't gonna hurt ya…much."

A hand tore away the hat that hid her hair and eyes and another came under her chin, forcing her head upwards.

Sakura knew from the files Caterina had given them that people of moderate skill and interest were taken, while those who were completely ordinary or weak were left.

Her hand came up, wrapping around his wrist.

"I'd suggest you let me go." She stated simply with a smirk.

"Little bitch!" He yelled, attempting to back-hand her.

Sakura's left hand came up, catching his fist and twisting as she brought her knee up into his stomach just hard enough to wind him. Then she extended said leg, shoving him back against the ground.

His friends growled, coming at her; Sakura kicked up as high as she could, sending the first reeling into the third. The second managed to grab her arm, but it was an easy matter to shove him away.

"Ah, you'd make a fine specimen."

She turned on the voice, instantly knowing that this wasn't a common street walker. She may not even be able to take him…

Then again…she _wanted_ to be taken, not the other way around…

She saw his fingers move and for a brief second, she wondered what he was doing. It wasn't until a net of incredibly fine silver strands came around her that she realized he was likely a version of puppeteer, like Kankuro.

She writhed weakly, unable to position herself in the net appropriately. This was bad…even if she wanted to, or needed to, fight she wouldn't be able to move with any range of motion.

"You might as well stop. I don't want my newest toy beaten to a bloody pulp before I ever get around to it." He smiled, appearing suddenly in front of her and running his fingers along her jaw and down the curve of her neck.

Sakura resisted the urge to smirk as she bit into the trace in her mouth, activating it.

And somewhere close by, Abel's positioning unit lit up.

* * *

Sakura let herself be stuffed into the cattle compartment of a train along with probably fifty other humans. It was a sign of his confidence than none of them were bound or gagged in any way. But it was also undeniable that they had given up: no one even screamed for help or even attempted to get at the doors.

Sakura watched as the panic set it and they began to fight among themselves, at one point even knocking the nearest women around. That was when she stood up.

"Stop." She stated as she caught a man's wrist and pushed him back gently.

The glare she sent them got all but one or two to sit back down immediately, but even they complied when their peers went down.

She knelt down beside the female, eyeing the tear along her eyebrow for a moment before she brought her glowing hand to the wound and sealed it.

"T…thank you." The woman stuttered.

Sakura shrugged, sitting back down and keeping an eye on the compartment. She desperately wanted to tell them that she was with the Vatican and there to help them. However, she already knew they were likely watching her every move and taping her every word. She had already jeopardized them in healing that female.

* * *

Sakura didn't even know what time it was when the train finally pulled to a stop. However, she knew more than twelve hours had definitely elapsed because the sun was just setting behind them---meaning the compound was in the East…

She was suddenly shoved forward but something that she took to be a Methuselah. She wasn't quite sure: it wore a helmet and goggles but no armor aside from that. Its bare chest was draped with a cloak, and an ax was strapped to its back.

Privately, she felt revulsion rise up in her throat but suppressed it and followed in line behind the other captives. They were funneled into a dark room the size of a gymnasium, where several hundred other humans were.

No lighting, very little air flow…a single, windowless bathroom…

It was only because of her keen, trained eyes that she saw the faint lines in the gym that marked a door, and one that bolted so heavily, even she would have had a hard time breaking it in, let alone a bunch of frightened humans…but even so, they were all taken for a special or rare kind of skill they possessed…so why hadn't they rallied?

She didn't have those answers…

* * *

Sometime several hours later, several of the guards appeared carrying, of all things, tubs. It took her a moment to realize why everyone was converging on them like lions on a wounded antelope: they were filled with a kind of thin gruel.

Quite literally, the guards dropped the tubs and disappeared again as the people began, of course, to fight over them. Sakura even saw small children, taken for their abilities several weeks earlier, shoved aside.

"Everyone calm down!" She finally screamed, standing up and drawing herself up to her full height; admittedly, it wasn't much, but she was counting on the fact that she was the only one willing to do it that would prevent them from contradicting her. Still, to her surprise, they did in fact back away, as if scared…

Sighing, she stated, "I'm not going to hurt you. But we can't act like animals."

There was a quiet mumble of approval.

"Good. Now, line up: the ill first, then the children, then the women and then the men. Eat only what you need and save the rest for the hungry."

In an act of almost single-minded obedience, they did as she asked.

But even she had hoped for a little more fight from them…she wanted someone to stand up and challenge her and prove they hadn't been broken completely.

* * *

Sakura quickly took control: she regulated everything from shower use in the morning to the line-up for dinner in the evening. She synchronized how the limited blankets they received were used and how water was rationed. Everything passed by her for an okay before it was done.

But even she couldn't protect them when every so often one of them was hauled off and didn't return.

She glanced up and an outward as another was dragged silently from their throngs and hauled through the single door, which bolted audibly behind the guards.

Almost two days had elapsed; not surprising…they had arrived on train. It was unlikely back-up would come the same way…

* * *

Abel climbed over the ridge, scanning for any sign of a potential enemy. Finding none, he scrambled into the next set of brambles and down the hill.

There he found the set of train tracks that technically didn't exist on the maps he had. It was quite ingenious, actually; a set of rails that split from a side branch that had been mostly abandoned and was no longer in use. It was so far from the main city and tracks that it was highly unlikely anyone would have discovered it if not for the tracking unit Sakura was signaling him with.

And he knew of only one organization that could fund that kind of endeavor with the type of secrecy necessary for its success: Rosenkruez.

* * *

Sakura shivered involuntarily when a pair of massive hands came across her arms, hauling her off her feet.

"No! Please!" One of the children cried, running forward.

"Stop!" Sakura screamed and the child froze, "I'll be alright, just remember what I told all of you, okay?"

Several heads bobbed and then she was hauled through the door and down a hall. She heard the door bolt behind her, the footsteps of the guards returning to their posts.

It was a single hall, leading to a single white door under bright, fake white lights.

She couldn't suppress the cry that rose from her throat as the door was opened.

* * *

Abel's keen eyes filtered out the static darkness and focused on the three vague figures hovering around the shanty-like compound. But even with the appearance of the place, he knew not to underestimate the horrors that lay inside.

"Sister Kate?" He whispered quietly into the radio in his ear.

"He's there, Father, awaiting your signal." She replied faintly.

* * *

Sakura's eyes widened in horror, the cry still in her throat.

"I'm sorry, does this offend you?" A male asked, tossing his coppery hair back as he rose from the bloody work on the nearest table and walked over.

There were literally disemboweled bodies hanging from the rafters, organs in a preservation fluids, human spine and bones sharpened and cleaned, hung on the walls, there were scalps in trays, and exposed skulls on surgical tables, bodies linked to life support systems even when their skulls were split and their frontal lobes absent.

Sakura's teeth bit into her lip as she met his gaze, her green eyes blazing.

He smirked, wiping his hand on the apron before proceeding to turn her head, as if inspecting her jaw line and neck. And then his eyes roved down, past her breasts, stomach, and thighs and back up again.

"You will make a particularly beautiful puppet." He smirked.

Her eyes narrowed and her nose crinkled as it did when she was angry.

"I don't think you realize what I could do to you." He told her in a sinister whisper, so close to her ear that she felt his lips brush against it, "Your nervous system is my playground."

She snapped her head back violently, forcing him back a full step.

"Do you know the kinds of torture I could inflict on you? Or the pleasures?" He asked.

She didn't reply, her eyes still on his.

He smirked again, motioning vaguely with his hand. His guards complied, slamming her against a table and tying her down so tightly she could barely breathe.

'If these were a quarter of an inch looser…' She thought, unable even to writhe against the bounds. Her strength was reliant on being able to move the body in tandem with her chakra…if she couldn't do that, she was physically as weak as any other…

"Don't worry, I'll make it as fast as possible." He told her, brandishing the scalpel in his hand.

Gunshots rang out from down the hall as the door suddenly flew open, colliding with the first guard.

A brown and black blur sped in, rounds going off in a blaze of bullets and sparks. Several blasts ripped through the straps binding her.

Dietrich's eyes fell on her, his hand pulling back.

"I don't think so!" Sakura cried as she rolled off the side of the gurney, kicking it back up at him. She heard the bones in his wrist give as the table struck him, the surgical blade skittering across the tile floor.

She never even saw his free hand flex and the lines whip towards her, only a blaze of gunfire that saved her.

"Stand down." Abel ordered, his gun still giving off a fine trail of vapor.

Dietrich smirked at him, slamming his fist against the wall. A series of explosions racked the roof, sending massive chunks of concrete and steel on top of them. All of their effort went into dodging the slabs and they forget entirely about him.

When the dust finally cleared, he was gone, as usual…

* * *

Sakura helped the last child onto the transport and waved as the platform rose and the ship pulled away, bearing them back home.

"Excellent work." Abel told her, appearing behind her.

"Not really. He still managed to escape." She replied, her hand dropping to her side.

"True, but all and all, the outcome could have been much worse." He said.

She nodded in a kind of half-agreement, her fist clenching at her side.

"Master, permission to inspect the corpses?"

Abel blanched, hesitating. But eventually he nodded.

Sakura nodded back in recognition, tying her hair back as she stepped back into the destroyed compound and knelt beside the nearest corpse.

Chakra flowed from her hands and into the body, gently inspecting it.

The results horrified her: the Methuselah had been dissected alive and then implanted with an electrical device that kept the cells alive without bringing back higher brain function and its self-preservation instincts had been severely suppressed.

She shivered, realizing how close she had come to be one of those things…

She turned away, opaque tears running down her face.

She would stop him, because she had to. What he was doing was an abomination of nature and its very principles. If he thought he could play God, he had another thing coming…

And her name was Haruno Sakura.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four: From Bad to Worse**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood!**_

_**Notes: I hate the way Shippuden Sakura's hair looks in a ponytail. So when her hair is up, picture it as curling up or in a style like Ino's. **_

Sakura and Abel, along with Gunslinger, had only just arrived in Vatican City when they were again called to Caterina's office. And, as was befitting of their position, they arrived immediately.

"I assume the mission was rougher than we predicted?" She asked, eyeing a dirty and injured Abel and Sakura. Naturally, and irritatingly, Tres was completely unfazed…

"You could say that." Abel chuckled.

"Well, I'm sorry to send you out again so soon," She began, "After much negotiation, we've talked the Empire into meeting with Rome and Albion in the hopes of furthering trade. If all goes well, this could be the beginning of good relations with the Empire."

"And where do we fit in?" Sakura asked.

"As personal guards." Caterina replied, "This event has been highly publicized and is subject to terrorist movement. We cannot allow this to happen. The slightest misstep could result in all out war."

"Why, then, was knowledge of the proceedings handed to the media?" Abel asked.

"We can't afford to appear weak, Abel. It was mutually decided this would be the best course of action."

Abel sighed, nodding in compliance.

"Now, you only have a few hours before we are set to depart." She added, sipping at a cup of tea, "I suggest you come prepared."

* * *

Sakura literally clamored for her shower, rinsing the filth away from her hair and body, all the time thinking about what she would need: kunai, shuriken, a few line of reel, the basic medical kit, if she could get her hands on the right herbs, she could even put together a rough batch of military rations…

She turned off the water, sliding out of the shower and into a robe. From there, she dressed in the first thing she found: a high-necked, sleeveless red shirt that fell to her hips and a black skirt, slit in four directions, with white shorts beneath. She strapped on her boots and pulled her gloves into place, tying her hair into a ponytail. Then she buckled her weapons holsters in place.

Everything was methodic, automatic, and clear. Everything in its place as she readied herself…

She glanced at the clock, realizing her plans for the rations would have to go. She simply didn't have the time.

* * *

Abel took down his hair, rinsing it briefly in the sink in his quarters. He splashed some of the same, cold water across his face, wiping away the blood and mud that had adhered there.

Satisfied for the moment, he changed his clothing and reloaded his gun, cleaning it as he went.

He may have acted like a bumbling idiot most of the time, but he really wasn't. He knew the chances for attack were great and privately he cursed Caterina for putting them in such a situation---something he rarely did and always instantly regretted. She was just doing her job, but sometimes that made his job a lot harder.

He sighed, rotating the revolving barrel with a twist of his wrist. Satisfied it would perform, he stood, holstering it and draping his jacket over it.

* * *

As was their custom, the AX met in the privacy of the Professor's library to discuss their course of action and their secondary and tertiary plans over cups of Kate's herbal tea.

"Now, according to the reports filed by both you and Father Nightroad, we have a problem." Vaclav began, showing his statistics to Sakura.

"It would appear the Order finally understands the 'quality over quantity' principle." The Professor stated as he looked over a copy of the report.

"And that doesn't make our job any easier." Leon replied gruffly.

"I assume we'll be employing an Alpha formation." William stated.

"Exactly." Vaclav began, "Sister Sakura, you and Father Abel are to stay with His Holiness at all costs."

Sakura nodded, she had worked this kind of operation before and was the perfect candidate: a defensive fighter with medical capability.

"Father Leon and I with guard Her Eminence." Vaclav continued, "Father William and Father Tres will cover our perimeter."

"And our secondary course of action?" Sakura inquired.

"At this point in time, your only orders are to safeguard the Pope. If something happens and the situation changes, go by that guideline unless you receive orders stating otherwise that you can authenticate." Vaclav told her.

She nodded, hoping that the crushing defeat Rosenkruez had recently suffered would prevent them from moving again so quickly.

But she knew better than to think so optimistically.

* * *

Part of the plan entailed the use of multiple decoys: look-alikes were flying aboard several of the Vatican's own ships, while the genuine article was seated comfortably in the Albion's _Tristan_. Shortly before Abel escorted the Pope aboard, Sakura had scouted the ship, noting weakness and possible escape paths. To reduce the likelihood a potential attack would kill both leaders, Caterina was on another ship under the charge of Brother Petro Orcini and his personal staff. For the time being, all AX members were protecting the Pope.

As they had discussed, Sakura and Abel remained with the Pope in the main cabin, doors bolted and curtains drawn. The other AX members worked the ship as spies and buffers, radioing back to Sakura or Abel frequently to assure them no problems had arisen.

"It looks like we're off to a good start, then." Abel stated after over an hour of monotony.

"Master Override Code Accepted. Sealing Compartment Doors."

"You just had to say something, didn't you?" Sakura sighed, rising.

"Professor, where are you?" She asked over their com link.

"Stuck in the galley." He responded.

"And Father Leon?"

He interrupted over his own radio, "I'm caught between Hall Three and Four."

"Where's Father Vaclav?"

"At last report he was in one of the restaurants." Leon replied gruffly.

"And Tres?"

"I am unable to comply with current requests to return to His Holiness." He replied simply before dialing out.

Sakura hissed to herself, glancing at the clearly frightened Pope. Instantly, her expression softened.

"We can't stay here." She stated simply.

"Agreed. Your Holiness, I apologize." He replied, breaking open a vent and motioning for Sakura to go first before shoving him after her and following himself. Fixing the grate back in place to keep up appearances, he followed after them down the vent.

"Shh…" Sakura whispered, putting her finger to her lips as the passed an overhead vent.

Two Methuselah were arguing below them; she couldn't quite get the conversation, but she did get the fact they were both very scared; if they failed now, they would be killed…

She didn't want to risk their position any longer and motioned for them to follow.

* * *

She kicked out the next vent, dropping down, ready to dispatch the next thing that moved. When nothing did, she hauled the Pope to his feet and allowed Abel to climb out of the vent.

"We need to find the others." He stated as he righted himself.

"But it's dangerous to move with the Pope." She replied.

"Yes. That's why I move alone. Stay here if the situation allows. Keep on the com link." He stated, breaking back into a vent and down it.

Sakura nodded, backing the Pope into a corner so there were only a few directions an attack could come from.

"Sorry…but I have my orders." She told him.

"It's alright…" He replied sheepishly.

"I'm sure Father Nightroad will be back soon." She added.

He nodded back fearfully and Sakura found herself feeling very deeply for his situation; he was a kid responsible for an entire world…

* * *

She kicked out the next vent, dropping down, ready to dispatch the next thing that moved. When nothing did, she hauled the Pope to his feet and allowed Abel to climb out of the vent.

"We need to find the others." He stated as he righted himself.

"But it's dangerous to move with the Pope." She replied.

"Yes. That's why I move alone. Stay here if the situation allows. Keep on the com link." He stated, breaking back into a vent and down it.

Sakura nodded, backing the Pope into a corner so there were only a few directions an attack could come from.

"Sorry…but I have my orders." She told him.

"It's alright…" He replied sheepishly.

"I'm sure Father Nightroad will be back soon." She added.

He nodded back fearfully and Sakura found herself feeling very deeply for his situation; he was a kid responsible for an entire world…

* * *

Leon fired several times, screaming at them to bring it on and see how they did. Even more Death Hunters filed in from the vents.

They had attacked the moment he had finished his link-up with Sakura and they hadn't stopped since. Already the hall was a sea of crimson an inch deep and thick. And they just kept coming; it was getting hard to maneuver around the corpses and his bulk was working against him in a big way. He barely had the room to maneuver when they did get close.

He didn't even notice the silver threads creeping in the blood around him.

* * *

The Professor hummed quietly to himself as he hacked the network, jammed the system, rerouted power, and opened the door only to find himself facing eight heavily armed Methuselah. Luckily, he proved the faster gunner and quickly dispatched them in ten rounds.

"Now then…to find the others." He stated to himself, passing under a vent spraying thin silver threads.

* * *

Vaclav had already activated his cloaking system and easily slid through the vampiric masses, leaving a crimson trail behind him. Wiping the crimson gore from his jacket, he deactivated the system and waded through the scarlet pools.

He didn't notice the metallic fibers in the folds of his armor.

* * *

Tres, by linking himself into the system, was able to force open the doors and make his way back down the hall. He noted nothing strange as he moved and focused instead on finding Sakura—where she was, the Pope would be.

The vents around him sudden gave and he was surrounded by Death Hunters. With a rather human sigh, he leveled his guns with the nearest pairing. Blood exploded across the room, bodies falling just as quickly as his finger depressed the triggers. Within a second, it was over.

"Switching from Attack Mode to Strategic Planning Mode."

As he stepped forward, a delicate filament fell into his clothing.

* * *

The door slammed inward, the imprint of a fist visible on the reverse side. The room filled with the audible tearing of steel.

"Stay where you are!" Sakura cried to the Pope, pulling a shuriken from her holster and leveling her aim; the metal was being forced apart and for an instant, their attacker would be vulnerable.

The metal cracked, splitting wide open.

"There!" She exclaimed, drawing her arm back and flinging the weapon through the crack.

A gout of blood spilled from the Methuselah as it fell backward. And another took its place…

There was the roar of gunfire, a spray of scarlet, and Tres.

"Enemy terminated." He stated simply as he forced open the doors, stepped in, and took up his place in the frame as a guard.

The radio crackled back to life as the electronic command computer stated, "Manuel System Control Restored; Reversal of Compartment Seals engaging."

Sakura gave a small sigh of relief as the doors snapped open and the AX members filed back into the cabin, last of all Abel, who bore a rather suspicious and knowing smile.

* * *

"In response to the recent attack, security for the Council has been stepped up." Kate assured them as she radioed back from the _Iron Maiden_.

"Good. We'll be arriving soon." Abel responded, severing the com link.

"Just a thought…" The Professor began, "For an attack arranged by the Order that was quite…ineffective."

"Specs indicate that victory was assured from the moment of engagement." Tres responded, his eye flashing red briefly.

"Well, there you go!" Leon replied, sitting back in his chair.

Sakura smiled, although she did have to agree with the Professor. It seemed odd that a full-out assassination attempt would be abandoned so lightly. But the body count was in the dozens, pointing directly to the prowess and skill of the AX Deputy Enforcers. So perhaps they _had_ simply repelled it.

* * *

The landing was smooth and they were greeted immediately by Asthe, who had been reassigned, via direct orders from the Empress, to place herself on his guard detail until the actual Council.

"Best to get moving." She told them, ushering them into the building they would be staying out in a matter of moments.

"The Council convenes in one hour. I suggest you be prepared" She added as she showed them into their room.

"We'll be ready." Abel assured her, reloading his gun and clicking the barrel back into place.

"Positive." Tres agreed, checking his own ammunition.

"Good. Now, my agency has already scoped the building. It's clean." Asthe assured them.

"Have all the parties arrived safely?" Vaclav asked.

"Affirmative." Asthe responded.

"Now, we just need to get through the Council itself." Sakura said, leveling her gun at a wall to check its alignment. "Are you sure you'll be able to capture them if things go down the way intel says they will?"

"Positive." Tres responded simply.

"Good." She stated mildly, holstering the gun again.

"Best to get going now." Asthe said, motioning for them to follow her through a back passage and into the streets.

Sakura filed in first, followed by the Duchess of Kiev. The Pope kept behind them, guard from the left and right by his assigned guard while Abel brought up the rear.

"Now, the Council procession begins soon. After the public showing, they will be sealed in a chamber to conduct their business. Afterwards, they will adjourn and return to their cabins for the night. If all goes well, the extension into tomorrow won't be necessary." Duchess Kiev stated as they stepped into the procession line-up just outside of the Chambers.

Sakura, taking note of Caterina and her brother's position as well as that of the Methuselah representatives, saw nothing unusual…not even one out of place face…

The march began, a fifteen minute show of faith among those present. And for fourteen nothing occurred. By thirteen, she was feeling this mission might go off without a further hitch.

That's when the smoke grenades dropped into the line-up.

Five landed between the AX members and the Pope. The grayish smoke was so thick, Sakura couldn't see or breathe. In a desperate attempt to pinpoint the Pope, she reached out, hoping he had simply collapsed to his knees rather than made a break for it. Something brushed by her hand inhumanely fast, he screamed, and she was shoved to the ground.

The crowd was beginning to run, trampling each other…and she was prone against the earth.

"Sakura!" Abel cried, hauling her to her feet.

"The Pope…he's been captured." She coughed.

"The Empress has also been abducted." Tres replied as the smoke began to clear and he accessed the damage.

"AX! Time to move!" Leon cried, vaulting himself over a nearby wall and after that last Methuselah assailant.

Sakura nodded, breaking past the crowd and after Leon with the other AX members going in their own directions over the wall.

But just as they cleared the wall when a second rain of smoke grenades hit them. Leon turned to help them, only to be engulfed in the smoky chaos.

"Keep going!" The Professor cried, "Don't lose them!"

Sakura nodded over her shoulder, pivoting on her heel and sprinting after them. She followed them through the city square, cursing the lack of light that was necessary for a conference with the Methuselah outside of the Empire. But she was able to keep up with them, right up until the time they disappeared into the sewer systems.

Sakura, following closely and very aggressively, pursued them actively even from within the system.

But she was getting suspicious: why hadn't they attacked to get her off their tail, or even just to bide some time? And they had to know that going into the sewer would only make them easier to find---every sound they made would be amplified five times and it severely limited their escape options.

However, her duty was clear: save the Pope.

* * *

Eventually, the sewers linked into a highly advanced, but obviously ancient city under the ground. She imagined it had been there for a while, Post-Armageddon; not that she'd reconciled the fact the world had ended thousands of years before her birth, and yet she was still there. But that was a radically different problem than her current objective.

The city, despite its clear state of abandonment, was still lit quite brightly…and in the time it took for her eyes to adjust, she had lost them.

"Damn it…" She hissed, running down the nearest street and around the corner.

There she saw the briefest flicker of movement. Not bothering to analyze it, she sprinted after it.

The vampire rounded the next corner, ducking into a building with Sakura hot on his tail. In a desperate attempt to stop her, he barred the door. But that was taken care of with a single powerful kick that snapped the bar cleanly in half, shattering the doors and throwing them open.

Her gun snapped into place, her aim leveling against the Methuselah holding the Pope.

"Release him." She ordered, her gun echeloning on between the Pope's captor and the vampire holding the unconscious Empress.

"You are surrounded."

Her eyes flickered over her shoulder to Tres, the laser of his guns falling across the next two as Leon appeared in the rafters above, the Professor emerging from the shadows and Vaclav materializing behind them.

"And that's just how we hoped it would go."

Sakura inhaled sharply at the recognition of the voice; she snapped towards him, her eyes narrowing with her rage.

"We have yet to be formally introduced; my name is Dietrich von Lohengrin." He stated with a bow.

Spinning, she turned back to the AX members, wondering why they hadn't fired…but all their guns were leveled on the Empress!

"What are you doing!?" She cried.

"I…can't…move!" Leon replied, straining against the control over his limbs.

"Why do you think we separated you on the _Tristan_? I needed to get you alone…to infect you." Dietrich replied, "How exactly do you think the Vatican will react when Caterina's own private agency assassinates the Empress of the Empire and their own Pope?"

She would be executed, Sakura knew, as well as the AX members…and the Order could sweep in uninhibited.

Sakura pulled her free gun, shooting the Methuselah holding the Pope and the next one, who had the Empress. Leaping in after the shots, she took a stand before the entire AX team and several rogue vampires.

"I won't let you."

"It's so much more fun when they try to fight back." Dietrich replied, flexing his fingers.

Leon was on top of her first, yelling at her to move even as he threw a punch at her. She ducked under them, weaving left to right before landing an uppercut to his jaw that sent him sprawling. But right behind him came the Professor, lashing his cane at her face, hips, and stomach. Blocking with her left arm, she slammed her right elbow into his stomach. Diving under him as cover from Tres' gunfire, she sprinted back around, trying to dispatch Leon again.

"Did you think it would be that simple?" Dietrich asked as Vaclav disappeared before her eyes.

'No! He's controlling their nervous systems, not just their bodies?' She realized, ducking back to guard the Pope, who was now clinging to the unconscious Empress.

"Let me apologize now." She stated, gathering chakra into her hands as rapidly as she could.

She waited for Vaclav to come to her, diving under his undercut and slamming her fist into his chest. In an instant, she had accessed the organic threads in his nervous system that were giving off the electrical impulses designed to control his systems, even the Lost Technology in his body. He slumped forward, allowing her a brief cover from the eyes of Leon, who was charging her from the right. Tossing the larger priest at him, she came at him from the right, slamming her palm against his stomach and severing the electrical link. Tres, having locked on to her now, began to fire. Unable to evade him in her current position, she felt the first projectile tear through her shoulder and another embed itself in her thigh. But the force of the blast knocked her in the perfect position to land a key blow to the back of the Professor's neck. He fell forward as she sprinted in behind him, her palm coming against the cyborg's temple, discharging the organic threads. In the same instant he flopped forward, her hand came over his wrist, taking his gun and leveling it the Methuselah and discharging it four times…four corpses hit the floor.

She slumped back against the wall, crimson blooming behind her as she fell to the floor.

"You're hurt!" The Pope cried, crawling to her.

"These only _look_ bad. Are _you_ alright?" She asked, flinching against the pain.

"I'm fine." He told her, smiling as best he could.

"Good." She replied, sighing heavily and leaning back against the wall.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed. But you're still finished." Dietrich told her, appearing from the shadows, his fingers curling.

The nearest Methuselah corpse leapt up at her, a blade sliding from his sleeve.

"No!" Sakura screamed, throwing herself across the Pope.

A spray of blood showered them, filling the air with scarlet liquid.

"Master!" Sakura cried, the point driven having been driven clean through his leg and mere inches from her own chest.

"I think that's quite enough." Abel stated, pushing his glasses over the bridge of his nose.

"Ah…Father Nightroad. You do have a penchant for showing up at the right moment." Dietrich replied with an amused smirk.

"Master!" Sakura cried.

"I'm fine." He replied, "How are the others?"

"They won't be able to move for a few minutes, but they're fine." She replied, "The Empress and His Holiness are, too."

"You did wonderfully." He told her, smiling brightly before turning back to Dietrich. His gun snapped into place, several rounds going off. But by then, the Puppet Master had disappeared.

She glanced back at him, hiding the discomfort of her wounds. If she played it right, the black clothing would hide the injuries until she could heal them in private. In the mean time, she worked on fallen AX members, slowly stimulating their nervous systems and, figuratively rebooting their bodies. Naturally, the electrical impulses she had used to break Dietrich's control did quite a bit of harm. But even that was relatively easy to resolve with her abilities.

Ten minutes later, all of the AX members were safely back on their feet and even the Empress had been revived; well, the Empress's stand in, the Duchess of Moldova…any way.

"Well, if that's all set and done, we'd best be on our way." Abel stated, ushering them out back into the street with the intention of leading them out of the city.

Sakura followed, offering to take up the rear. Thankfully, no one objected and they began the march back through the deserted plaza and back into the sewer system.

They reached the city just as midnight was rolling around and it was agreed, for the sake of appearances, to go ahead and convene the Council despite the day's events. After that, Sakura saw nothing of the Pope for several hours.

When he did finally emerge, they were ordered to accompany him and the Empress, again the stand-in, Duchess of Moldova, to the balcony that overlooked the Judgment Square of Albion---the neutral grounds for the three kingdoms---to make a statement.

"Thanks to the kindness of the Vatican and the Kingdom of Albion, the Empire has made great advances in diplomatic relations. We are grateful." The Duchess said, winking knowingly at the AX team.

The Pope stepped up beside her, followed by a proxy in place of Queen Esther who was attending to other business.

"We're…very…uh…" The Pope stuttered out, before the proxy kindly stepped in and began speaking with more eloquence.

In the background, Sakura felt her body twitch convulsively and her fingers drip a dagger.

"Father…Nightroad…" She stuttered painfully.

"Sakura?" He asked.

Before she knew what was happening, she had knocked him to the ground and was on top of the Pope, her hands poised to plunge the dagger into his chest.

"Stop her!" Vaclav cried, caught between two other AX members but having the presence of mind to pull the curtain cord, dropping the heavy red velvet between the audience and the scene unfolding before them.

The blade came down, blood sprayed over the balcony.

"Kill me…now, Father, before I hurt him…" She cried, tears pouring down her face and splashing on the gaping hole in her thigh.

"I won't." Abel replied, slamming against her and pinning her with his weight, "Fight back!"

"Kill me, NOW!" Sakura cried, writhing against her will beneath him.

"No." He snapped back, ordering the Professor over.

"We need to sever Dietrich's control." He said, waiting for the Professor to catch up with him.

"He hasn't fully penetrated her nervous system or her thoughts and words wouldn't be her own." He said, "She might be able to fight him back using the same method she used with us."

Her eyes flickered up to him, a silent yes resounding in that gaze. Chakra flowed into her system, burning away at the virulent coils in her nervous system. But just as quickly as she could muster the energy, Dietrich was viciously suppressing it. Pain shot through her abdomen so violently she retched. He was playing with her nerves, shifting between excruciating pain and dizzying convulsions low in her stomach.

"Didn't I tell you?" His voice asked, invading her thoughts.

She felt the violation almost physically, her teeth coming across her lips, "Get out!"

Chakra forced its way into her hands, which she clamped tightly over her thigh, her nails biting into already bloody and wounded flesh. Pain was her ally, it screwed slightly with his control, giving her an in. It seemed like an eternity, but eventually she forced the threads out through the wound in her thigh, pulling them out like she would a parasite, screaming intermittently with the pain of the process and her demands that he leave her alone.

She finally collapsed back against Abel, gasping for breath.

"You did wonderfully." He told her as her eyes fluttered closed.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five: Fallen Figure**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood. **_

"It came to my attention shortly after the incident regarding the Special Deputy Enforcers that the Pope was in extreme danger from Methuselah assailants using Lost Technology. They reacted accordingly." Caterina stated.

"And how do you explain the appearance of the whole ordeal?" Her brother demanded furiously from behind her, in front of the entire media coverage.

"Appearances, Brother, can be deceiving." She replied, "And we should know best; God, after all, works in mysterious ways."

* * *

"It isn't like the Order to move so conspicuously." The Professor stated.

"True, but we've thwarted their attempts so far; they might be getting desperate, particularly with the recent alliances between the Methuselah Empire and the human Albion and Vatican nations." Vaclav responded.

"I have to agree with big-brain." Leon snorted over his tea.

"Now, now, let's behave." Abel replied with a smile as he stirred in his twelfth sugar cube into his milk tea.

* * *

Sakura pushed the bloody rags into her trash can as she finished wiping the blood off of her shoulder and thigh. The stray bullet she kept in wrapped in her spare clothing as a kind of trophy, physical prove she had, for a short time, bested the Order.

She changed into a clean set of clothes, braiding her hair back, before turning to leave and join the others in the pavilion area for lunch.

It was a short walk from her quarters to the pavilion and she had taken her seat within fifteen minutes, ordered her lunch, and was enjoying a cup of tea with the other AX agents.

"You were not present at the designated time. Requesting a full report." Tres stated as she stirred some sugar into her tea.

"I had some personal business to attend to." She replied.

"Now Father Tres, she's obviously unharmed. Let's not interrogate her before she's had something to eat, at the least." The Professor replied.

"Positive." Tres stated simply.

Sakura smiled at the Professor, giggling to herself silently over the whole thing.

"Albion really is quite pretty." She commented after a moment.

"Yes, it is. It's quite famous for its beauty." Abel replied.

"I can see why." She said, looking out over the city.

And then the sky above them darkened and the roar of engines filled the space around them. Their heads snapped up.

Sakura inhaled, her gasp drowned in the others around her as they took in the massive battle ship; elliptical and heavily armed, it literally blocked out the sun. Hundreds of small orbs, roughly the size of a man, hovered around it.

"Isaak." Abel growled.

The first blast bathed them in red light, a massive orb of destruction emanating from the Eastern block. It was a picture identical to the attacks less than a year ago—except this time, the diplomats of the world were centered in the city limits.

"Sakura, go and evacuate the Methuselah representatives! Hurry!" He exclaimed, ordering Tres and Vaclav to follow him. "We'll buy as much time as we can. Professor, radio Kate and have her start taking evacuees aboard _Iron Maiden_. Leon, I need you to give us some cover from the ground."

Sakura nodded, leaping over the table and into the hall. She slammed the doors that she found behind her, blocking what little sunlight was filtering through completely and waking the sleeping vampires.

"What going on here!?" Ion demanded, throwing open his door as Sakura slammed another.

"The city is under attack, we need to evacuate now!" She replied, kicking in Mirka's door and informing her of the situation as briefly as she could.

Thankfully, the Duchess was very accommodating and offered to rouse the other Methuselah. Sakura nodded, continuing down the hall, gathering them up as she did.

Naturally, Astha, and much of the Methuselah guard detail, was already up, evacuating the Methuselah in their halls down the left and up the right. Astha, in the middle of ushering a young diplomat into the hall, saw a glint of pink and turned on it.

"What's going on?" She demanded as Sakura turned into the hall.

"The Order." She replied.

Astha growled, her amber eyes flashing dangerously.

"We need to go, now, Astha." Sakura said, motioning for the entire coalition to follow her.

"Where?" Ion demanded.

"We need to evacuate through the sewers. Kate will be waiting for us near the canals." Sakura replied.

The ground beneath them shook violently, several screams coming from the civilians outside.

"We don't have time for this." Sakura sighed, slamming her fist against the ground, shattering it and dropping the entire group into the sewer system with a massive splash.

She figured most of them would be offended, but none of them said anything as she led them into the next tunnel although there was some grumbling from the nobles about the 'indignity' of the situation.

Thankfully, the sewers fed directly into the canal; but they still weren't out of danger yet: _Iron_ _Maiden_ was a massive ship with a poor low altitude speed—they would be a massive sitting duck for at least a full minute after they boarded, so it wasn't until they could see the light of day at the end of a tunnel that Sakura radioed Kate.

"_Iron Maiden_, this is Sakura requesting immediate evac."

"Stand by, Sakura; Iron Maiden is docking in thirteen seconds." Kate replied as a shadow fell over the canal tunnel.

"When the bay doors open, run for it." Sakura told the Methuselah, pressing herself against the tunnel wall to give them more room as the ship landed in the water and the mechanical doors hissed with the release of pressurized gas; the ramp slid forward.

"Go!" Sakura cried.

The entire mass blurred before her eyes, disappearing into the safety of the dark hold.

"Kate, you're clear! Go!" Sakura radioed back.

"Sensors indicate you haven't boarded, yet." She replied,

"No, you need someone to cover you. Just go." She said, pulling herself out of the sewer and onto the boat docks.

"Affirmative. Be careful." Kate said simply before _Iron Maiden_ pulled away.

"I will."

Sakura waved to the massive ship, watching it pull away—taking massive chunks of the canal sides and docks with it—and rise slowly upwards and with that she leapt up onto the nearest roof and into the city.

* * *

Leon gave a victorious cry as he scored a shot on one of the orbs hovering around the massive battleship. Beside him, Tres was taking out as many as he could with two guns; his shots were perfect, the effects devastating. And with Vaclav, his cloaking system active, silently cutting his way through the ranks, they were taking out as many of ship's defenses as they could.

Ultimately, however, it was the ship keeping them safe: the battle craft couldn't fire on them, as close as they were, without annihilating itself in the process and even its smallest guns were easy to dodge because of their sheer size and the slow speed they used.

"Where's Four-eyes?" He asked, leveling his bazooka and taking down an additional defense orb.

"He's bringing up the rear." Vaclav replied, appearing beside him.

Sure enough, there was Abel, firing rounds off as quickly as he could reload them.

"AX, _Iron Maiden_ is taking off. Requesting cover."

"We'll do what we can." Vaclav responded, activating his cloaking system again and sprinting back into the fray.

* * *

"Ah…so, the Vatican believed they could simply fly away into the sunset?" Isaak laughed to himself, centering his guns on the _Iron Maiden_. "War is the trade of kings." (1).

The orbs disengaged momentarily, a red light rising from the main cannon as the smaller guns swung into position.

* * *

Sakura pulled herself onto the next roof, flipping her legs into a better position. The red light of the main cannon fell on her, and even from a few miles down, she realized the absolute enormity of it. The edges of the destructive blast glowed purple as the machine powered up.

It was over…she realized…she had no chance of escape and no hope of saving _Iron Maiden_.

But she stared her death straight on, meeting its glowing red eyes with her own emerald green ones.

* * *

No one even heard the command that Abel muttered under his breath, they only saw the massive blast of electric blue energy that engulfed him and the sudden blur of black and red as he dove before the beam, brandishing the scythe.

It swung forward in a distortion of hazy crimson, a bolt of brilliant blue following the motion. The shockwave destroyed the orbs around the ship in a flash of red as they imploded, debris raining down into the streets below. The net of electricity surrounded the ship, diffusing the power grid in a massive blast. The sound of the beam losing power was audible over the din of the Crusnik's rampage.

* * *

Sakura saw the beam dim and fall away, a massive figure silhouetted against the dying light, his huge wings spread, his scythe held at his side.

His image was impressive, lodging itself in her mind. And despite the intimidating physique and its sheer size, she knew he was there to help. Even miles back, too far to make out even the largest detail in his face and body, she knew, knew by the kindness and protectiveness pulsing from him.

* * *

"Excellent work, Father Nightroad, as usual." The Professor stated as he returned to his Terran form.

The Father didn't respond as he marched into the wreckage, identified the destroyed cockpit, and rummaged through it until he found the barely conscious Isaak. Hauling him up, he threw him against a wall.

"I should have finished you when I had the chance." He told him, "I'm going to give you one chance to tell me what I want to know: Where is Contra Mundi?"

"He who is a friend to everyone, is a friend to no one." He replied, coughing up blood.

"Nano machine, Crusnik 02, Power Output: forty percent. Activate."

Isaak's shocked eyes glazed over the scythe's tip rammed into his thigh, slicing him open from there to the knee.

"Care to continue?" Abel hissed, his tongue running across his fangs.

Isaak growled back, straining against his hold.

Abel smirked, his scythe running across his stomach, ripping his intestines apart and lacerating the pulsing internal organs beneath.

"I don't know!" He cried finally, blood spilling from his mouth.

"Are you certain?" Abel asked, drawing his arm back.

"Yes!" He cried, "He runs Rosenkruez from outside of the Order!"

Abel nodded, his eyes flashing as his scythe came down, cleaving the Methuselah in half. The blood ran back into him, spiraling around him in crimson arcs until there was only the hollow, dry, brittle shell of the Methuselah left crinkling against the cobblestone.

He had just shifted back when Sakura turned the corner, sliding on the stones.

"Is everyone alright?!" She demanded.

"Damage reports indicate there are no significant injuries among the members of AX." Tres replied, snapping an extra clip into his gun.

"Good." She breathed.

"And the Methuselah representatives?" Abel asked.

"Evacuated on _Iron Maiden_." She replied.

"Excellent." The Professor remarked.

Abel smiled at her, his cerulean eyes kind but somehow troubled; but she knew it wasn't her place to ask, and she didn't.

"We had best move out; Duchess Milan has just ordered us to return to the Vatican for a damage assessment report." Vaclav said, his ear piece crackling faintly.

TBC

John Dryden stated, "War is the trade of Kings".


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Six: Children of the Night**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood. **_

"There were only three hundred deaths, most of them civilian in nature." Tres told her, his eyes shining a faint red as he pulled up the specs.

"Unfortunate, but unavoidable." Caterina replied. "If not for the AX team, I fear Albion would not have survived at all. You have my thanks, all of you."

"It was our pleasure." Vaclav assured her.

"You are dismissed; Father Nightroad, Sister Sakura, if I might speak to you privately for a moment." The Duchess of Milan replied with a kind nod to her old friend.

There was a brief shuffle and the click of the door closing behind them before the Cardinal turned to them, an elaborate embossed cream white envelope etched in silver in her slender hand.

"The Empress was quite impressed by you, Sister. She requested your presence, and that of Father Nightroad, in the Empire two nights from now for a formal gala she is throwing. "

"I didn't do much." Sakura replied.

"Nonsense: without you, the Methuselah representatives might not have survived the attack. And your skills in coordinating the airlift were first-class." The attractive blonde replied.

"But Father Nightroad issued the order."

"And you followed through brilliantly." He replied.

She blushed, averting her eyes and accepting the letter from the Cardinal, who also passed a large white bag to her.

"This is your stipend for the event." She said with a smile.

"I'm sorry?" Sakura asked.

"If this goes well, it could be the beginning of favorable relations with the Empire---following that train of thought, the church is able to compensate you for expenses such as clothes, travel, and recreation when you're in the Empire."

Sakura could literally picture Abel drooling beside her, figuratively…maybe, at the realization of what he could do with that money and she made a mental note to keep a bit of a leash on him during their stay.

"Have fun." Caterina said as they slipped out of her office.

* * *

Sakura, having set out several hours earlier to find a dress, found herself hopelessly lost in the city around the Vatican. All the streets looked the same, and every corner had a landmark---making all of them useless in her attempts to navigate. She was so frustrated she was just about ready to sit down and cry on the next water fountain rim when she ran into Abel.

"Oh, hello, there!" He said brightly, flashing an ice cream cone.

At that point, she was so upset she couldn't do much more than give a wordless scream of rage before calming down enough to give a shuddering explanation of her current state.

"Is that all?" He asked, motioning for her to follow, "There are dozens of stores around here."

She smiled, feeling slightly better with his easy going cheerfulness and intimate knowledge of the city….or at least she was until she found herself in a store that catered to nothing but common sexual fantasies.

"Um…Master…." She trailed off, blushing as a woman wearing a very skimpy maid's outfit passed by with a roll of measuring tape and disappeared into a fitting room, "I thought the city was supposed to be sacred ground…"

"Um…well, you see…" He blushed, scratching uncomfortably at the back of his head, "This kind of thing isn't actually considered dirty by the Catholic church. Procreation is natural and anything that contributes to it is considered…uh…well…beneficial."

"Master, hmmm?" One of the girls asked, saddling up to Sakura and nudging her knowingly.

"It's not like that…" Sakura insisted weakly.

"Of course not." The woman replied, already measuring Sakura's bust.

"Now, I really don't think this is necessary…" Abel tried, only to have another girl drag him away and begin fitting him for something with leather and spikes, as she said.

She wasn't really sure how, but Abel eventually got them out of there and even bought her an ice cream cone as an apology.

"Sorry…it was a dress shop a few months ago…" He said sheepishly as she lapped up the liquid vanilla ice cream.

"It's alright." She replied, feeling strangely at ease despite the fact they had just been fitted for a dominatrix and hostage outfit.

"There's another right around the corner we could try." He suggested and she, reasoning that it couldn't be any worse than the last stop, agreed.

Luckily, this time around it was a shop, and a tasteful one at that, that had a lovely lack of chains, leather, and hand cuffs.

"You're a genius when you're not an airhead." She told him with a smile.

He nodded with a smile, still obviously feeling guilty about the last store.

With that, he went off for a fitting in the adjacent shop---with his height and build it was a necessity more than a luxury---while she began to flip through the racks of dresses. The first rows she ignored completely for their color: yellow. With her hair and eyes, those shades were sure to make her look sickly. She also ignored anything it lime green, orange, or purple. Following with that tact, she quickly limited her selections to white or red.

And then she found it---the most beautiful dress she had ever seen: It was floor-length with a small train that was fitted around the entire length of her body and wrapped counter clockwise around her frame. It was strapless with a small dip in the neckline that revealed just the right amount of her modest cleavage. It was made with a creamy white silk that had delicate silvery patterns woven into the fabric in abstract designs that were invisible until the light struck them properly. And as part of a bargain sail going on, for an additional thirty dinars, she received a pair of white heels and a white choker in a satin silk with a faux, but very pretty, ruby embedded in the cloth. She agreed quickly, paying out the sum---quite cheap consider the quality of the dress (All Vatican personnel, she learned, received a considerable discount) ---and left. Abel was leaving his store at about the same time, carrying a similar bag.

"How did it go?" He asked.

"Great." She smiled back, "You?"

"As well as can be expected." He smiled back, walking with her down the street.

"When do we leave?" She asked.

"Late tonight. It's a bit of a ways to the Empire." He replied with a sigh; he didn't sleep well on trains, she knew. But it seemed to be a bit more than that. Then again, it might have been exhaustion: they hadn't slept in more than three days between the Council meetings, the sudden air raid, and the call to return to base.

"Well, then we better hurry back to pack and get some dinner." She smiled, trying hard to be cheerful.

"Oh, I forgot…Sister Kate is responsible for dinner tonight!" He stated, clapping happily.

Sakura briefly wondered how a hologram could prepare dinner, but decided not to question it.

Three blocks, two missing IDs, one save by Father Vaclav, two lectures from Caterina, and one frantic race to pack a bag later, they were sitting at the deserted dinner tables, eating chicken soup with dumplings, salad, bread, and chocolate cake for dessert.

Shortly afterwards, they were on the train, the sun setting low behind them, bathing them in an orange light.

"Master…"

"Yes?" He asked.

"I'm not sure how comfortable I feel in a room of predators in a dress…" She said carefully.

"I'm sorry your first experience with them had to be so bloody. Many really are very good people." He told her, smiling.

She nodded back at him absently, laying her head against the window and letting the passing scenery lull her to sleep.

* * *

She woke up with a start sometime later that night, the moon high in the sky and the stars twinkling brightly. She looked over, expecting to see Abel and slightly nervous to find him missing in figurative action.

Rising from her seat, she stepped into the hall, checking both aisles for any sign of him. Finding now, she wondered down the left one, wondering where exactly he had gotten too.

She checked the other cabins, only once finding another person on the train…highly unusual…but she didn't imagine too many humans _wanted_ to get to the Empire. She looked up and down the entire length of the train, panic rising in the back of her throat.

She had just gotten back to their own cabin when the train jarred sharply, throwing her back against someone.

"Watch your step." He said with a measure of amusement.

"Master!" She cried, turning and hugging him.

"Did something happen?" He asked.

"No." She replied, not wanting him to know she had nightmares and finding no excuse for her sudden gratitude in finding him.

"Well then…I'm glad to see you, too." He said, patting her back reassuringly before taking his seat.

"Where were you?" She asked.

"Speaking with the conductor." He responded.

"I see." She said quietly, lying back against the seat.

"Are you certain you're feeling alright?" He asked.

"Yeah…just a little…tired." She replied, closing her eyes again.

* * *

She woke up at dusk, an orangey-purple light filtering in through her window. She gasped, shocked she had slept so long.

"This is so embarrassing…" She lamented quietly, her red-hot face buried in her hands.

"What is?" Abel asked from over the edge of his book.

"I've been asleep for more than twenty-four hours…"

"What? Oh, I see." He said with the realization, "No, it's actually morning. You see, Methuselah can't tolerate UV radiation. To make a diurnal life possible for them, this entire place is covered in an ion shield. The lighting is an effect of the particles in the air that filter the sunlight."

Now she was embarrassed that she hadn't come to a similar realization sooner…

"I had a similar reaction my first time out here." He added, knowing that was when the shield was first erected more than a hundred years earlier.

She smiled back at him, gathering her stuff as the train began to slow.

He smiled back, taking one of her bags from her and hauling his own up as the train lurched to a stop. They walked down the hall, through the open doors, and into the Empire's capital.

* * *

"There you are." Astha stated dryly as she spotted them on the platform.

"Ah, Hello Viscountess Odessa." Abel replied with a wave.

"The Empress sent me to escort you to the Jade Palace." She said, as a means of explanation for her presence.

"Good. I don't think I can read the written language of the Empire." Abel told her awkwardly.

Astha sighed in exasperation before simply motioning for them to follow through the crowd.

"Stay close. Some Methuselah aren't very tolerant of Terrans this far in the Empire." She added.

* * *

The Palace was visible even before they were in the city, a giant green structure rising from the horizon and towering protectively over the city. And it stayed visible no matter where they went; no matter how many streets they wondered up and over or around.

Eventually, they were shown directly into the Palace and given rooms in the Guest Wing in the center wheel of rooms.

"You who will be sharing a room with two beds. We're trying to accommodate a large number of guests. I hope this won't be a problem."

"Of course not." Sakura replied.

Astha smiled at her, opening the door and leaving them to their own devices.

It was a massive room with two canopy beds in white and green separated by a thin, opaque paper screen in an oriental design. The carpet was stark white, the rooms overlaid with colored glass in shimmering greens and covered in gold designs.

"Wow…" She trailed off.

"The Empire is known for magnificence." He told her, setting his things down by the bed.

"I can see why." She replied.

"There's a bath to the left if you want to clean up first." He added as he began unpacking.

"Oh, thanks." She said, disappearing into it almost instantly---she didn't imagine she smelled too good after her last mission (she still hadn't had a chance to bath) and the train ride into the Empire. She stripped off her clothing quickly, discarding it off to the side and stepping into the marble tub. She flicked on the faucets, letting it fill with hot water, and began to scrub down.

It felt good to have a bar of soap and a sponge again; bathing at the Vatican was a bit of an all-out-race-for-the-showers-first-so-there-was-still-hot-water kind of thing. But here was free to take a few minutes to herself.

She shampooed her hair twice, scrubbing the grime and oil out before conditioning it. And when she was sure she was as clean as she could be in one sitting, she stepped out and wrapped a towel around her torso and proceeded to brush her hair out; standing there in front of the massive vanity, she felt almost glamorous, still flushed from the hot water with the transparent towel draped across her breasts. She had never thought of herself as pretty, definitely not when she was standing next to curvaceous Tsunade and gorgeous Ino. And she felt even less feminine in the company of female vampires, who were living seduction and sensuality. But alone in the bathroom, she felt…desirable. She blushed, wondering if she was being silly or if all women had moments like that.

Throwing her wet hair over her shoulder, she slid into a bathrobe, secured it at the waist with the band, and slid her feet into a pair of slippers.

Abel wasn't in the room when she got back. It was a little unsettling when he disappeared like that…but maybe he wanted some privacy.

* * *

It wasn't until an hour before they were supposed to attend dinner with the Empress that she began to get truly worried about him; thankfully, that was about the time he made his appearance.

He apologized for his tardiness, bathed quickly, and dressed.

While he was in the shower, she dressed herself, slipping into the sheath of the dress and zippering it up her back. She strapped the heels on and clipped the choker around her throat. She arranged her hair in a fan at the back of her head, clipping it up with an intricate clip in metallic gold. Her bangs she curled under gently, brushing them out so they fell attractively around her face. She smeared some gold eye shadow across her eyes and tinted her lips in a coral pink. She was inserting her pearl drop earrings into the piercings when Abel emerged in a suit: black with a creamy white shirt underneath, his hair secured in its usual black ribbon. He looked absolutely gorgeous…

"You look magnificent." He told her.

"I could say the same about you." She replied with a coy smirk.

He smiled back, opening the door for her with a comical bow and following after her.

* * *

Sakura was reminded exactly how ordinary Terrans were when she saw Astha step into the hall: The Methuselah warrior was dressed in a gown of blue silk the shimmered, a decorative corset laid over it with geometric cutouts the revealed the richness of the gown's design. Laced through the corset where chains of gold and topaz gems that fell to her thighs. The sleeves were off the shoulder, the corset rising over the bare flesh. Her arms were sheathed in a matching design of blue and white. An expanse of her chest was visible over the lacy neckline and highlighted by a large topaz gem that fell in the hollow of her throat. Her blonde hair had been parted, the upper half arranged in a complicated bun, the lower half braided in small sections and wrapped in silk. On her head was a large, but lovely, hat in blue silk with a sophisticated touch of gems and a single feather.

But Abel seemed oblivious, greeting her the way he normally would have if she was simply in her trench and jeans.

"You look lovely, Sakura." Astha told her after her traditional, but playful lecture, of Abel's lack of formality.

"Not nearly as lovely as you." Sakura responded with a good-natured smile.

"Nonsense. Simplicity can be its own beauty." She said, taking a seat and motioning for them to join her.

"When's dinner?" Abel asked, his stomach growling.

"Soon." She replied with a mixture of annoyance and amusement…a feat only the Duchess of Kiev could pull.

And sure enough that was when the waiters began to lay food down for them.

Abel began immediately, as did several court nobles despite the fact the head of the table was empty.

"What about the Empress?" Sakura whispered.

"Edict dictates that a meal be eaten as it's served regardless of the attendance at that point." Astha replied quietly, "As a show of respect for the time, effort, and finances put into its creation."

Sakura nodded gently before beginning on her bowl of soup along with the Duchess.

"It's the end of the world…" Astha said dryly a moment later, "Father Nightroad using basic table manners."

Sakura suppressed a snicker; he was quite the messy eater. But tonight he was behaving himself.

Dinner passed in a similar sequence, most of her conversation staying with the Duchess Kiev. The banquet lasted about two hours, after which they were shown into a massive ballroom with dozens of balconies in place of windows that overlooked the moonlit gardens.

For the most part, Sakura stayed to the side, sipping at some water and watching Astha and Abel be courted for dances and suffered some rather nasty comments on her breeding; or at least she did until a nobleman approached her.

"Such radiant beauty." He remarked, taking her hand and pressing his lips dryly against her skin.

"Thank you…" She stuttered dumbly, an apricot flush filling her cheeks.

"May I have the pleasure of a dance?" He asked sensuously, his lips brushing against her ear as he leaned in.

"Of course." She replied, setting her class absently on a passing tray and letting him take her hand and lead her onto the floor.

His hand came across her hip, his other hand taking her's and leading her in a waltz.

"I do hope you've enjoyed tonight." He said, smiling at her seductively.

"I did." She assured him.

"Excellent." He replied.

He spun her fluidly, his arm coming across her hips from behind to catch her before her righted her and swayed against her.

The song was coming to an end now, and he excused himself with a bow and another kiss on her hand.

Feeling slightly dizzy with the excitement and sensuality of the evening, Sakura excused herself to one of the empty balconies.

That was where Abel found her a moment later.

"You look tired." He commented, brushing a strand of hair away from her eyes.

"A little." She admitted.

"Well, most of them should be retiring soon. The Empress sent a message a few minutes ago apologizing for her absence." He told her.

"I hope everything's alright." She replied, feeling slightly queasy with worry.

"Oh, yes, she just had some business with Albion tonight; which would explain the queen's absence, as well."

"That's a relief." She smiled.

A breeze came up, chilling her sweat-damp skin and she shivered involuntarily, her arm coming over her chest.

He didn't even make a verbal observation; he just slipped off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Let's get back inside." He said, his arm coming around her shoulders to shield her from the wind.

From there, he said good-night to Astha, who smirked knowingly at Sakura and with such intensity she had to look away, and led Sakura back up to the room.

* * *

Sakura sat on the bed, lying back but letting her legs dangle over the edge, lacking the immediate energy to slip off her shoes and not wanting to dirty the sheets.

Abel, smiling gently at her, told her he would be back; he wanted some milk tea. He said he'd bring her some as well, to warm her up.

She smiled back faintly as he walked back into the hall, the door clicking behind him; she sighed happily, pulling his jacket close to her face to inhale his scent: musky and somehow like autumn…but crisp like the air after a snowfall, befitting, she guessed, of his eyes and hair.

She buried her face against the cloth, breathing as deeply as she could, trying to memorize his aroma. There was the faint smell of, not unpleasantly, either, his sweat, and something faker, like cologne. But it was undoubtedly masculine, and very seductive.

The door opened with a faint creak and Abel stepped in balancing a silver tray with a tea pots, cups, and quite a bit of sugar. He sat down next to her, passing a cup to her as she shifted into a better position on the pillows.

"Thank you."

"It's no problem." He replied, mixing in five cubes of sugar at a time.

Sakura smiled as she stirred three of the delicate white cubes into her own tea before sipping at it.

"You made an excellent impression tonight with several of the nobles." He told her, "I haven't seen Astha that impressed with a human in a very long time. And I've never seen a noble that infatuated with a Vatican representative."

"You had just as much luck with the female Methuselah." Sakura replied teasingly.

"Oh…that…" He laughed.

She giggled back, setting the cup down on her nightstand.

"Well, we do have to leave early tomorrow. So it's probably best we get some sleep." He said with a warm smile as he turned down the lights.

She nodded faintly at him, curling up against his jacket as sleep took her.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Seven: Encounters: A Beginning or an Untimely End?**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood!**_

Sakura crept along the destroyed floor of the building, her gun held at the ready, barrel down in front of her.

There was so much blood on the floor that she knew that, Methuselah or not, the victim was undoubtedly beyond help. She swallowed hard as she followed the trail, peering around the corner the gory slick ran around.

She winced at the sight; there was nothing left of the unfortunate person, just a mass of scarlet fountains spattered across the wall. She slid along the wall quietly, trying to avoid tracking blood as she stepped into the room.

What ever had happened there, it had been violent and fast: the walls were cracked so badly in some places the moonlight shone through, the tile was a mass of spidery cracks and fractures and the ceiling, once beautifully painted, was a massive spray of crimson.

She lowered her gun, scanning the room and finding no hostile presence.

It was only then that her wrists were cupped over her head by a mass of fine wires.

"What the…!" She cried out as she was hauled painfully off her feet.

"Now then, let's have some silence, shall we?" A male voice asked, giving way to a slender adolescent male who was, still, without a doubt the most beautiful male Sakura had even seen…and he still radiated the worst bloodlust she had ever encountered. And with his words, a razor sharp line fell across her throat.

"Who are you?" She demanded, straining against her bonds, the memory of their first encounter fresh.

"My name is Dietrich von Lohengrin." He responded sensuously.

"Release me."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, my Lord desires to speak with you." He replied, moving aside with great grandeur to reveal another male; he was tall with layered blonde hair, red clothing, a slender figure and startling eyes.

He smiled at her appraisingly and Sakura's blood ran cold in her veins.

"My name is Cain." He told her simply as he inspected her. "And the Contra Mundi."

Sakura's breath caught in her throat; 'My Lord Against the World…'

She fought even harder against the lines, lacerating her wrists. And suddenly his hand was around them, restraining her completely with one free grip…

"Stop." He smiled, pressing closer.

Her breath hitched in her throat again as his free palm came to rest against her abdomen. But it slowly moved off to the side, just past her…and a massive hole exploded in the stone structure.

"I'm going to tell you this once," He smiled, "there will come a time when you are necessary to the destruction of Terrans. And if you want to see your loved ones survive at all, you'll do as I say. And here is my first order: I was never here."

She nodded numbly, trembling as the lines were finally loosened and she was dropped on the floor.

By the time her head had snapped back up, they were both gone. But Abel was there, blinking in shock as his eyes fell across the wounds in her wrists.

"What happened?" He demanded, sprinting to her side.

"I…I…I…." She couldn't think of a single excuse that wouldn't contradict Cain's orders and put Abel in jeopardy.

He stared into her eyes, demanding an answer she couldn't give.

"Blood loss…" He sighed, tearing several strips from his jacket and binding her wrists before looping his arms around her carrying her out.

Seeing an out, she just laid weakly in his arms, her nausea very real.

Eventually, she simply demanded to be put down and asked him to go ahead, saying she wanted to heal herself in private. He didn't like it, but he complied with a nod. She stood there for several seconds, her hands glowing a faint green before she started after him.

She hadn't even taken ten steps when something flickered in her peripheral vision and she turned sharply on the intrusion in time to see a shock of blonde hair disappear behind a gravestone. She stumbled back in shock, colliding lightly with Abel, who caught her shoulders.

The shock of his touch was enough for her to emit a small yelp and pull back.

"Are you alright?" He asked with a goofy smile, bending to meet her eyes.

"Uh…yeah…" She replied distractedly with a fake smile.

"Then let's get going." Abel replied with a lopsided smile.

Sakura nodded…more to Cain, who she knew was watching, and warning, her and continued after them.

* * *

"I'm sorry your trip had to end like this." Kate stated mildly as Sakura cleaned the dried blood from her wrists.

"It's alright." Sakura replied, "Besides, this is quite a bit more luxurious than a train."

Sakura's attempt at wit was satisfied with a smile on Kate's part, but all too quickly it fell from her face.

"Is everything alright, Sister? You seem…distant today."

"Of course."

"You know you can talk to someone, if it's not. That's what we're here for."

"I know." Sakura replied, standing and leaving.

* * *

Hours later as they entered the Vatican, she still didn't even know what she was frustrated with, for crying out loud! She just wanted to hit something…to watch something disintegrate beneath her fist as that cry tore from her throat. She just wanted to destroy something…to vent her rage.

And it wasn't even just her emotions that seemed out of control, but her entire body…she could literally feel her frustration creeping in her lower belly.

Impulsively, she tore at her hair with her nails until they came again tinged with blood.

What was it she wanted…or needed so badly but couldn't identify?

She wished Tsunade was around the corner as she had been for most of her life, the life that began when she decided she was done being the weakest link, and could help her.

* * *

It didn't occur to her until she was back in her room that there might be someone who could help her…

She was so desperate she didn't even realize what had happened until she was outside of Caterina's door, knocking franticly. And she was so quickly to answer, the kunoichi didn't know what to do but latch onto her, wrapping her arms around her waist.

"Goodness." Caterina stated mildly, leading the girl into her office and pouring her a cup of tea. "What happened?"

"He just frustrates me so much!" She huffed, staring into the tea cup.

"Who?"

"Abel-san."

"Father Nightroad? How so?"

"He…" She paused, not sure even what she meant, "He's so oblivious and clueless and he's confusing and he just makes me so angry!" She blurted.

"Well, you see, Father Nightroad can be a bit of a…well, a featherbrain, in all honesty. But he means well."

"I know but it's absolutely…"

"Infuriating?" Caterina stated with an incline of her slender eyebrow, "I know."

"How do you stand it?"

"For the most part? I ignore it."

Sakura bleated a wordless response in silent defeat.

"I'm sorry…I don't know what's wrong with me…"

"Wrong? There's nothing wrong with you." Caterina assured her.

* * *

After Sakura retired to her quarters, Caterina made a note to separate them for a while; besides, she had meant to sent Sakura on missions with other AX members already---to let her gauge their abilities and vice versa. They would need this information for later missions and the sooner it happened the better it was for everyone. Still…it was quite reminiscent of their Esther not long back and her first spat with Abel…

* * *

It was later that evening that she was given her first assignment with someone aside from Abel, who had thus far been her only field mentor. This time, however, it was to be Hugue and Tres; an unusual combination by any standard.

It was a simple mission: they were to investigate mysterious murders in the Kingdom of Albion and return to base with whatever intelligence they managed to collect. They were strongly advised not to engage the enemy, but had permission to do so, if necessary.

Sakura, upon the conclusion of the briefing, simply nodded and turned away, ready to board _Iron Maiden_; which would take them to Albion under the cover of night.

* * *

Sister Kate, with her expert skills in covert drop, had them in Albion within a few hours and was finishing her briefing with them.

"Remember, I'll be standing by if you need assistance."

"Positive." Tres replied.

Hugue nodded vaguely beneath his hood, polishing the hilt of his katana.

Sakura smiled up at her in a silent apology as a set of bars dropped into place above them. They stood, grasping them as a second set fell into place behind them and the bay doors opened.

"Be careful." Kate added before the bars released, flinging them onto the nearest roof as _Iron_ _Maiden_ faded back into the cover of night.

Sakura slid to halt easily, Tres' weight pulling him to a stop as Father Hugue rolled to his feet.

"Let's split up and search the city. Report back here in two hours." Hugue said, disappearing into the nearest ally.

"Positive." Tres stated, leaping onto the next rooftop as Sakura dropped into the main street.

Sakura, trying her best to call and repel attention to herself, wandered along the streets, taking note of the happenings; a woman passing by with some groceries, a couple making out on a bench, and a large dog rummaging around in a nearby alley.

She was just wondering if this mission had a point when the dog growled at her, approaching, his hackles raised.

Then she realized its sheer size and knew it wasn't a dog or a lycanthrope… it was a werewolf.

Her hand snapped up automatically, a dagger flying from her grip as she leapt back. It dodged right, coming at her in a flurry of claws and teeth.

She flipped back, spinning over him and ramming a dagger into its haunches. It turned on her, the force of its reel sending her flying against a nearby wall. The blow knocked the air from her lungs, leaving her gasping for breath against the concrete wall as he converged on her.

"Guderian, stand down."

She curled up instinctively against herself, her breath catching in her throat as she pushed herself against the wall.

"So, we meet again?" Cain asked with a smile as he knelt down beside her, trailing his slender fingers across her sculpted jaw bone.

She felt the tears gather in her eyes, spilling over her bloodless cheeks. Her breath came in ragged, sobbing gasps.

No one…not even Orochimaru could induce this heart-stopping, paralyzing fear that consumed her: It was those eyes…so innocently happy as he took lives, destroyed nations, and waged a private war that threatened to consume them all. Her stomach turned at his touch, bile flooding the back of her throat bitterly as she pressed herself even further against the wall. His free hand tore the collar of her shirt, exposing a triangle of supple, firm flesh. His lips came to the line of her breasts, lapping at them as his other hand slid along her inner thigh.

"I find you…interesting." He told her, breathing hotly against her ear.

She jerked out from under him, her body spreading across the ground with the sudden motion…she looked back.

He was gone…

Her breathing fast-forwarded and she found herself gasping for several seconds, holding herself and rubbing her arms as if she could scrub away the chill creeping under her skin.

She found herself vomiting the contents of her stomach onto the cold, wet cobblestone a moment later. The retching left her so exhausted, it was all she could do to simply lay there for a moment and wait for the dizziness to pass, images of him flashing by her star-filled eyes.

She didn't know how long she laid there, only that Hugue eventually found her.

"What happened?" He asked, hovering over her.

She didn't respond, turning her head away from him.

"Subject is unresponsive." Tres added unnecessarily, appearing on her other side.

She rolled onto her side, pushing herself up on her arms and standing unsteadily before proceeding down the street. She stumbled into the nearest telephone booth, sliding several coins into the slot without bothering to count them, and dialing the number she knew by heart.

It rang several times before a familiar voice finally answered, "Vatican Special Deputy Enforcer Abel Nightroad speaking."

"Abel-san…" She trailed off.

"Sakura? What's wrong?" He asked, recognizing the exhaustion in her voice immediately.

"I don't think I'll be coming home. I just wanted to say…" What did she want to say? Thank you? For saving her life countless time and being her mentor? That wasn't it…no…she wanted to say something more personal…more intimate…to capture how she felt about him, when she was around him…"Thank you."

"Sakura? Where are you? I'll be there as quickly as I can."

She let the phone drop behind her, his voice cracking slightly as she walked away.

* * *

She couldn't be the lead that Contra Mundi used to find them and destroy them. If he had an interest in her, no matter how small, he would use it to destroy them completely from the inside out---he'd already proven himself a sadist and took pleasure in annihilating people from the inside out, in taking their souls and crushing them bit by bit in front of them.

No…she'd leave. Let him hunt her and her alone down…spare the others.

She tore off her com link, knowing it had a tracking device, and stowed it in a pile of garbage and laid her rosary cross down near the pile of trash, smoothing it over briefly with her fingertips to remember it. She took a dagger, cutting her hair back to a chin length bob, letting the cut locks fall around to the ground before she turned away.

This time, they could watch her back as she walked away from them…but at the least, she did it out of love and not the senseless need for revenge or a misguided attempt to save a friend.

Her fingers tightened around the kunai in her hand as she faded into the shadows, a single tear falling from her cheek and dropping lightly onto the wet ground.

* * *

Abel yelled into the phone for several minutes, begging her to respond before he simply dropped it and walked away.

He marched into Caterina's office, not bothering to knock or greet her with their usual formality---the show they put on for others around them despite their intimate knowledge of each other.

She smiled up at him, her eyes knowing.

"Please…I haven't broken my promise and I don't intent to…" He began.

"It's alright, Abel. I know you'll come home." She replied.

"Thank you." He told her, turning away.

"Abel," Caterina looked at him, her iron steel showing through her beautiful blue orbs, "Bring her home."

He nodded, the door clicking faintly behind him.

* * *

"This is _Iron Maiden_ to Sword Dancer and Gunslinger, report back immediately."

"What of Sister Sakura?" Hugue asked.

"Inconsequential. Return immediately."

"Very well." He replied.

* * *

She ran, her footsteps connecting against the ground and fading behind her into echoes.

And far behind her, the wind carried her severed pink locks away.

_**TBC**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter Eight: Hunt for Scarlet October**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Trinity Blood or Naruto! **_

Sakura ran until she was sure not even Tres would be able to follow her trail; she actively screwed with her core body temperature, ensuring no logical heat trail would be left, she made false trails, changed the stride and length of her steps, varied the time she spent on the streets and on the roofs and even went so far as to alter the pattern of her fingerprints for the short time she would be in Albion.

When at last she just couldn't run any further she collapsed against a wall, tears running down her face despite her best attempts to suppress them. She wondered vaguely if they would ever know why she ran…

She came to the conclusion they wouldn't. She might have been a fighter for them, a warrior in their ranks, but she had been a kunoichi first. She knew how to collect information from people and machines. She knew how to talk someone in circles and allow them to sputter something they shouldn't have in their confusion. She knew how to work a male, to get him to talk just by the sway of her hips, the incline of her eyes, the glisten of her lips.

_Her hands moved just a hair slower than her thoughts as she flipped through the manila folders, searching for anything she could get her hands on. In particular, past AX operations; successful or not, that might hold the information she desperately needed. _

_Eventually, she came across it in the form of the first encounter former Sister Esther Blanchette had had with Abel Nightroad against the Count Gyula. To deactivate the weapon known as the Star of Sorrow, he had input a verbal command code with the words 'Mars' and numbers '666' in it. She found that rather odd and decided to pursue it. _

_She really hadn't been ready for what she found---after weeks of searching, and in some cases sneaking information, she found herself in the library archives beneath the Vatican, where only the most ancient texts were kept. _

_She found what she was looking for by accident…it was labeled simply Mars Project. At first, she thought it might be a book of old codes, or so the first fifty pages would suggest. But after that…_

_She couldn't imagine the pain he had gone through…the experiments…the betrayal…the wars…She sat down and wept right there, the book in her lap. _

_She couldn't believe that Abel, her Abel, her savior, had been alive more than nine hundred years…in a way, she felt the same disturbing chill creep up her spine as she would have at the mention of Orochimaru's name, but she didn't feel the sickness that usually accompanied that sensation. But what did make her nauseous was the story behind Cain…his brother. And his former lover…Lilith Sahl…but of his sister, there was very little mentioned…Even Cain rated only a few lines. It really was mostly about Abel…well, up until he just disappeared…for nine hundred years…_

Sakura almost smiled to herself with the memory, with the sick and twisted irony of it. She really did want to know about him…but those were just facts…just a dead history left behind him. She wanted to know _him_…why his eyes were always so…distant. Why, when he smiled, she didn't feel like smiling back, but like holding him.

'I really am an idiot.' She told herself, her lips pulling up in a caricature of a smile.

With that, she stood up and began to make her way through the city. She had already seen _Iron_ _Maiden_ pull away. It was a little like saying good-bye to her home…She shook her head; no…she had already said good-bye when Konoha fell.

* * *

Abel cursed privately to himself as he found the source of the blinking red light on his tracking system; it was her com link, cleverly stowed in a dirty alley…and her rosary, tangled in several strands of silky pink hair.

The loss was so crushing and he felt it so deeply, he wanted to sit down and scream to his God above and demand an answer and yell until He gave one; but his energy was better spent elsewhere…in finding her.

* * *

Sakura ate the last apple she had carried with her when she fled three days earlier. She would have to find work soon if she wanted to survive at all…even in the progressive Kingdom of Albion. But she didn't know anything…all her time and effort following her evacuation had been devoted to learning the trade of an AX member; now it was coming back to bite her.

* * *

Esther was shocked to find an exhausted, dirty Abel Nightroad requesting an audience with her. But she was so happy to see him it was all she could do to maintain her composure and silently nod while he was shown into her office.

"Father Nightroad…it's so good to see you." She said privately a moment later.

"The same to you." He replied with a warm smile.

"So…what brings you to Albion?" She asked.

"I need your help."

Her eyes widened; he never asked anything from her, so it must be of dire importance. She owed him a debt she could never repay, but if it was in her power to help him, she would without a moment's hesitation.

* * *

Sakura wandered around the streets, feeling lost in several degrees; she had no home, no purpose or profession, nothing…

The overwhelming sense of defeat was almost more than she could take and for a brief instant she thought about how easy it would be to end it…she had the knowledge, the know-how and the energy to do it painlessly and quickly…

She shook her head furiously, hating herself for her moment of weakness and hating herself for hating herself…

Her arms came around herself as her tears fell from her face, splashing across her chest.

* * *

"Thank you, Esther. I can never repay you." Abel told her.

"I owe you a lot, Father Nightroad. Please consider the scales tipped in your favor."

He smiled, leaving the room as she went back to her business.

* * *

The rain was coming down again, drenching her as she stared up into the bleak and starless night. Her thin clothing could hardly compete with the sudden changes in weather. Her bluing lips turned up in a caricature of a smile at the unending bad luck that had been trailing her.

"What is a beautiful young woman such as yourself doing out on a night like this?"

It wasn't the comment that struck her as much as the sincerity in the voice; he wasn't trying to coerce her into a one night stand or even domineer her for laughs…he honestly cared.

She looked over, her eyes meeting those of a handsome blonde in a suit. He carried no umbrella despite the weather and looked utterly at ease despite the dark night.

"I…I don't know…" She replied.

"Well, that's no way to get ahead in life." He told her as he shrugged off his jacket and folded in around her shoulders.

"I hope you don't mind, I am a Methuselah. But if that doesn't bother you, I can offer you shelter." He told her.

And again she was struck by his straight-forwardness. She shook her head.

"Well then, come along." He smiled.

She didn't even remember him leading her through the streets and into a massive underground city of an obviously higher technological background.

"What…is this…?" She asked.

"The Albion Ghetto, where all of the technology for this nation is produced and perfected." He replied.

"I…"

"There will be time for explanations after you've rested." He told her.

She nodded, letting him lead her to a room inside of the structure. He helped her into the bed, removing her shoes and laying them off to the side for him. He rose, pulling a heavy blanket over her and leaving her to rest.

* * *

She woke up sometime the next morning feeling like a small piece of the Underworld unevenly warmed over. Her head throbbed painfully as she sat up, pulling the blanket around her shoulders.

"I see you're awake." Virgil said, stepping in with a tray of food.

She nodded shakily, massaging her head.

She didn't even know he moved until his wrist was pressed against her forehead, the tray having been set noiselessly on the stand next to her mattress.

"You're running quite the fever." He stated, sitting down next to her.

"Sorry…" She muttered.

"For being ill?" He asked with some amusement as he poured a cup of tea for her from the supplies on the tray, "No need to apologize."

She nodded, not even really listening anymore as he pressed the cup into her hands. Automatically, she brought it to her lips, drinking in the sweet, hot liquid.

"Do you have someone you'd like me to contact?" He asked as he poured some soup from a thermos into a bowl, arranging it with a spoon on the tray itself.

"I have no home and no kin." She replied evenly.

"I'm sorry." He told her after a moment of silence.

She nodded distantly, mechanically consuming the food he handed her.

"If you wish, you may remain with us." He finally said.

"Thank you, but I should be on the move again very soon." She replied.

He didn't press her.

* * *

Abel took the bread she offered him almost grudgingly. And for someone with his appetite, she didn't know whether to be offended or worried. But she fell more towards worried than anything else.

"Father Nightroad..."

"I really should be back in the field." He replied waspishly, standing and exiting.

Mary sighed to herself; it was so unlike the priest to reject food…or to snap with so little provocation.

* * *

Virgil paced thoughtfully not far from the young woman, whose fever had spike some time ago. As Methuselah, they didn't fall sick and had no need for medicine in the Ghetto. At the same time, the fever wasn't severe enough to require emergency medical assistance; well, there was that and the clear desire the girl had to stay anonymous if possible.

He decided against calling in for Terran aid and left her to rest as he continued with his work on Lost Technologies.

* * *

"I see." Esther sighed as Mary told her of their current lack of progress.

"It is possible, My Queen, that she is no longer in Albion." Mary added.

"True…but have we exhausted all of our options?"

"I believe so, Your Majesty."

"Very well…" Esther sighed, providing no conclusive statement.

The search was still very much on.

* * *

"Father Nightroad, I am sorry." Mary said as another six hours passed fruitlessly.

"It's alright. Thank you for your assistance." He replied dryly.

Mary nodded sadly, watching as he walked away, radioing for pick-up.

* * *

Abel sighed to himself, watching the sun set on the fifth day of their futile attempt.

"Father Nightroad, this is _Iron Maiden_; Lady Caterina has issued the following order: She would like you to visit the Methuselah Ghetto and speak with Virgil Walsh on a trade matter."

"Very well." He replied, radioing into the Ghetto for permission to enter.

It was granted almost instantly and he was back on his way.

* * *

"It's a pleasure to see you on more beneficial terms." Virgil told him, welcoming him personally into the underground city.

"Yes." He replied distantly.

"Now, what did you come to discuss?" Virgil asked.

"Lady Caterina was curious about a trade agreement. If she provides political standing for the Ghetto in the next Council, would you be willing to help in the redesigning of the _Iron Maiden II_?" Abel asked.

"Certainly." Virgil responded, pulling up prints on the computer screen in front of him.

"Excellent." Abel replied unenthusiastically.

"I was however wondering, Father, if you could perhaps bring medical supplies on your next visit."

"Medical supplies? I didn't think Methuselah needed them." He responded with an amused smirk.

"We don't. But Terran guests do."

"I hope none in your current company are ill." Abel replied.

"One." Virgil said.

"I might be able to help. Would it be alright if I looked at him or her?"

Virgil, seeing no way they could be connected, nodded and stood up, showing him into the nearest room.

Abel cried out, running to her and dropping onto his knees as he tore of his glove, pressing his wrist to her forehead.

"Sakura…" He trailed off.

"You know her?"

"Yes." Abel replied, asking Virgil to find him a pan of cold water and a wash cloth.

* * *

Sakura's eyes fluttered open, taking in the rapidly blurring image of Abel hovering over her, his cerulean eyes worried. There was an overwhelming feeling of relief that flooded over her and a feeling of dread that settled in her stomach.

"Abel-san…"

"Shh." He smiled, pressing his finger gently against her lips, "It's alright now."

She smiled even as a tear ran down her fever-flushed cheek.

Virgil appeared behind him, carrying several supplies and the light shining in from the hall blinded her. Instinctively, her eyes closed, sleep taking her.

"Thank you." Abel said, taking the pan and various items from him.

"Will she be alright?' He asked.

"She should be." The Crusnik replied as he dipped the cloth into the pan, wringing it out with a sharp twist of his hands, and dabbing at her face.

"Good." Virgil replied, slipping back into the hall as the door close behind him.

Abel smiled at him even as his back turned, a silent thank you on his lips as he pulled the blanket down from her shoulders and gently wiped down her throat and wrists.

* * *

Sakura sat up, tearing the stifling covers off as she gasped for breath.

Abel was there in an instant, his hands on her shoulders, supporting her as she caught her breath.

"Abel-san…" She trailed off.

"I'd like to know why you ran off." He said with a smile.

"I can't tell you." She replied before she could stop herself.

"Can't tell me?" He asked, obviously amused.

She stammered unintelligibly.

He waited until she finally whispered, "It was the Contra Mundi."

His expression fell, replaced by a hatred and anger she never saw in him before. And she didn't even try to stop herself as she threw herself against him, her fingers grasping the cloth of his jacket.

"Please don't go."

"What?" He asked, shock ringing in his voice.

"I didn't tell you because I knew you'd go. And we won't make it without you."

"I wouldn't leave you."

She inhaled sharply, wondering if he meant just her or all of the Vatican.

"Silly," He teased, "He might be of special interest…but I have promises I have to keep."

She looked up into his eyes and saw no lie and felt respite bubble up in her chest.

"Are you ready to go home?" He asked.

She nodded, tears of joy running down her face, "More than ever."

_**TBC**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter Nine: Tidal Darkness pt 1**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Trinity Blood or Naruto. **_

Sakura slept, her head resting on his shoulder, through most of the _Iron Maiden's_ smooth voyage home. It wasn't until the alarm of the ship went off that her eyes snapped open.

"Kate, status report!" Abel yelled, catching Sakura as the ship jarred sharply to the left.

"We're under attack by Methuselah warships." She replied just as the ship was tossed right back a massive explosion. The blow was so fierce it spun the entire ship one hundred and eighty degrees, the hatch cracking open. The sudden release of pressure jerked them forward.

Abel's arm came around her waist, pulling her up as he hooked his arm over a seat leg. But a moment later the pressure equalized and the ship leveled off.

They cried out in mutual horror and rage: rising from the horizon was a black mass: millions of Death Hunters on foot, ships backed so densely in the sky they blotted out the sun, thousands of tanks and armored vehicles leading the charge. How had such a force escaped detection…surely Kate's radar must have…?

"Sister Kate, return to the Vatican and immediately evacuate the Holy Council and Cabinet!" Abel cried.

"Father…we are the Vatican's lead ship. We cannot run." She replied over the static interfering with the radio link they were using.

And it clicked: they attacked at night, using jamming devices to throw off the radar. It didn't explain everything, but it explained some things.

"Then it's only more fitting that you carry them to safety. Do it quickly." He added.

"Very well. Vatican forces have already been dispatched, along with the AX; but we are heavily out number and out gunned. Proceed with caution. We will request permission to evacuate to the Empire." Kate replied, briefing them quickly.

Sakura and Abel were up in the next instant, grabbing the massive blocky pressure cannons that dropped from the ceiling. Sighting the nearest tower, they leveled the cross-hairs and fire. Lines shot from the feet, trailing a barbed tip that embedded itself in the ceiling. Snapping the guns back into place above them, the grabbed the handles that popped free from the cannon and slid down the line from the ship onto the rooftops.

"Father Nightroad!"

His cerulean eyes flickered down to Father Leon, sweaty and clearly exhausted, his bazooka hanging limply over his shoulder.

"Leon! What happened?" He demanded.

"We were overrun before we knew what was happening. Don't ask me how. But everything we have is being put into guarding the Vatican." He huffed.

"Sister Kate is evacuating them as we speak." Abel assured him.

"Good…because we're not gonna last."

* * *

The Professor collapsed against a destroyed wall, panting for breath. Beside him, Hugue was binding a wound to his left hip.

"I think that's all for that wave." He stated.

"Let's hope so." Hugue responded, tying off the clothe bandage with a sharp pull.

* * *

Tres reloaded automatically, his Genocide Mode already active, as he began to fire again; statistically speaking, he had the advantage in terms of his accuracy and speed. But his munitions wouldn't keep up with the never ending flow forever. Behind him, Kate was finishing evacuating the Vatican staff.

"Father Tres!" She called.

"Proceed without me." He replied, snapping another clip into place and taking down three that managed to get in behind him somehow.

Kate nodded, disappearing back into the cyber system of the _Iron Maiden_.

* * *

Vaclav tore through the forces he could using his cloaking system as cover, but was forced to withdraw to rest; they had been at it for hours and he was not only out of ammo for his gun, but was low on the caloric energy it took to activate the mechanics in his body.

And he had been separated from what little back-up he had had in the Vatican foot soldiers. He could only assume that when they broke in their panic, they were picked off one by one. But in all the blood chaos, even he had been tempted to break rank.

* * *

Sakura leveled her gun against the nearest attacker and prepared to fire only to have a cloud of debris slide between them. She flinched, pulling the trigger and the round went wild.

An ax flew at her from the dust cloud. There was the roar of a pistol and the spark of metal meeting metal as Abel covered her from the side, turning in the same motion and taking down his own attacker.

There was no time to thank him as the next wave swarmed off them. But at this point, their numbers were working against them: they had no room to wind back for a decent swing of their weapons and it was easy to dance around them, wait for them to get stuck in a compromised position, and take them down.

* * *

Leon took the shots he had, using munitions that were far too large for city combat, but it was all he had to work with. And at the least, he was taking down far more numbers than he would have been able to normally---and at the price of only a few historically important statues and buildings that dated back to Pre-Armageddon…

* * *

Kate pulled away unhindered well beyond the range of even the largest ships' main cannons; that was almost disconcerting…or would have been if she had had the time to think on the matter.

Instead, she was busy radioing the Empire for permission to dock. Thankfully, it was granted along with a promise the Methuselah warships would join in the battle as soon as they could.

But even in _Iron Maiden_, it was a twelve hour journey to the Empire…or from the Empire to them…

* * *

The Professor snapped his cane forward, landing a stunning blow to the back of a Death Hunter's head before unsheathing the blade hidden in it and severing its spinal cord. Blurring in between the enemy forces was Hugue, slicing them down in brilliant arcs of blonde and crimson.

William spun to avoid a blow to his back, bringing his cane at the abomination's knees as he pulled his pistol and fired at the next two.

* * *

Sakura tossed the creature over her shoulder, snapping a high kick into the jaw of the one of her left. Spinning, she brought her fist, back-hand, against the face of the one of her right. Bouncing off of her heel, she imparted a scissor kick to the next one over.

Her breath coming in ragged gasps, she turned to cover Abel, who was badly outnumbered and running low on ammo. Pressing herself against her back she asked, "What now?"

"We have to break and find some cover." He replied, snapping his last clip into his gun.

She nodded, rotating around him and snapping her leg up before bringing it down; the earth shattered beneath them and as it did, throwing up plumes of rubble and dust, she grabbed him and ran.

* * *

Vaclav took shelter in a destroyed Cathedral, trying to give his mechanical systems time to reboot from extended use. He was out of ammo and had no back-up weapon to use. They had been attacked so suddenly he had thought to bring a spare of anything.

Sighing, he stood and activated his cloaking system again.

* * *

Hugue was knocked back into William, both of them slamming against a destroyed statue base.

The blow was enough to stun the Professor and tear open the laceration along Hugue's hip. Tangled in each other's limbs, they had no hope of recovering in time to defend.

"DIE!"

There was a sudden flash of pink and a deafening blow that shattered the ground, sending Death Hunters flying; in the same motion, there was the glint of metal illuminated by the fires raging around them, each finding its mark.

Sakura rose unsteadily on her feet, a mixed look of triumph and exhaustion in her eyes.

"Hugue-san, Professor-san, are you alright?" She asked.

"I believe so." William replied with a chuckle.

"Likewise." Hugue replied.

Sakura's eyes flickered to the bloody bandage around his hips, but she nodded in affirmation of his statement.

"Impressive strength for someone of your stature and build." The Professor remarked.

"Thank you." She replied, not quite sure how else to respond.

Abel smiled at them, his hand coming reassuringly to her shoulder.

* * *

Leon dropped the empty gun, disposing of empty magazines as he ran for better cover. Diving behind a particularly large pile of debris, he pulled his last weapon and began to fire.

* * *

Tres glided through the figurative field of Methuselah, mowing them down even faster than they could replace their fallen ranks. The ground ran red with their blood, tendrils feeding into rivers as he moved in their ballet, dancing to the death with them.

* * *

Vaclav had long taken to using the fallen Death Hunters' weapons against them. It was the only option he had once his munitions had been exhausted; so he used spears, axes, lances, whatever he could get his hands on despite his lack of proficiency with several of them. That, in conjunction with his cloaking and camouflaging systems made him almost impossible to hit and he found he was working his way rather quickly up one of the side streets.

* * *

"You guys go on ahead." Abel stated suddenly as they rounded a corner, his peripherals flickering with motion and color.

"But…" Sakura began.

"Just go. I promise I'll catch up." He said with a smile.

She hesitated, nodding briefly before sprinting down the street behind Hugue and the Professor.

Abel's expression dropped, his eyes narrowing dangerously, "Nano machines, Crusnik 02; Power Output: forty percent. Activate."

Power flooded through him, his scythe materializing in a blaze of light and blood. Electricity pulsed through his wings, the blood of the fallen _vampires_ around him spiraling around him in brilliant crimson arcs that fed into him.

He ran his tongue over his fangs, savoring the blood feeding into him as his scarlet eyes fell on the next wave; his lips pulled up in a smirk, his scythe swinging forward.

* * *

Sakura didn't even see the ax until it was mere inches from her face. Instinctively, she pulled back, arching her spine in a complex flip that carried her ten feet back. She sprang back even further on her heels.

It was about the time that Hugue disassembled the Death Hunter into several dozen pieces.

"We may need to stop and fortify one defensible location." The Professor stated, eyeing the vampire's corpse thoughtfully.

"Not without Abel-san." Sakura replied.

There was a sudden flash behind her and she turned, horrified to find it coming from the street they had just left…where Abel still was.

"Sakura, no!" The Professor cried as she ran back down the street, oblivious to his plea.

* * *

Sakura rounded the corner only to dance back behind it; there was a magnificent figure standing there, black angel wings spread, his scythe dripping gore…and Abel nowhere to be found.

But, as physically terrifying as he was, there was nothing else to suggest hostility. Biting back her fear, she stepped out, "My name is Haruno Sakura, Vatican Special Deputy Enforcer."

He turned, shock filtering through his lustrous red eyes, recognition flashed across his face…and horror.

"Abel-san…" Sakura trailed off, her lips pulling up into a smile.

She ran to him, colliding with his chest as her arms came around him.

He hesitated…no one had ever looked at him without fear before…not even Caterina….

And then his arm came across her.

"I was so worried." She whispered.

"You didn't need to." He assured her.

A familiar hiss rose from behind her, Abel's head snapping up and his scythe coming protectively around her. She glanced over to see literally hundreds of glowing red eyes in the darkness behind her.

He looked down at her, knowing he could annihilate the forces before him but not without risking her.

He inhaled sharply as her hand slid into his, squeezing slightly, "Do what you have to."

She smiled at him, slipped her hand free, and ran in the opposite direction, clearing him to do whatever he felt necessary.

* * *

Hugue and the Professor had been forced to move on but had been separated not more than three streets down and forced apart even further as wave after wave of Death Hunters flooded the street.

At this point, William had no clue even where he really was; very disconcerting considered he'd lived there all his life…but with all the rubble, fires, and overall need to keep moving, identifying his perimeter was the least of his concerns.

* * *

Sakura ran, rounding the corner of the street and leaping onto the roof of the nearest building. Climbing over it, she aimed her gun at the nearest flank and began to fire. Five shots later, the useless tool dropped to the ground, spent of ammo. She rolled onto her back, trying to regain her breath.

She never saw the ax fly at her from the darkness.

It was only the sudden clash of Abel's scythe against the metal that snapped her eyes open. Even then, she saw nothing but the flash of silver and black streaked with red as he moved.

"Abel-san…"

He landed lightly beside her, a faint smirk on his ebony lips.

"You…save me…" She stuttered dumbly.

He just smiled.

Tears came to her eyes as she threw her arms around him, feeling his wing cup protectively over her as she buried her face against his neck.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter Ten: Tidal Darkness, pt 2; Crest, Break, and Wash over Again**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood…I only dream I do…**_

They found refuge in a church shortly after. It wasn't the safest place…but it was mostly intact; far better for protection than most of the buildings in the ravaged Rome. They were both so exhausted by then, there was little they could do accept crawl in between the splintered pews, curl up against each other for warmth and fall into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Sakura's eyelashes fluttered vaguely at the delicate, cool sensation on her exposed cheek. She resisted the coming consciousness at first, but with the next faintly wet sensation against her skin opened her eyes.

She looked up, into a small drift of snow filtering through the roof.

'That's….not right…its spring…' She thought faintly as she shook herself awake.

"Helga…" Abel drifted off, a look of rage filling his eyes for a brief second.

"Who?"

"She's a Methuselah with the ability to manipulate ice and the like…and it looks like she brought an early winter…"

"But…"

Sakura wanted to cry: they had been counting heavily on the coming dawn to give them time to regroup and mount a counter-offensive…

"But even clouds won't block all the UV radiation…right?"

"Naturally, no. However, this storm is far from natural."

Sakura steeled herself; she wasn't going to let them win. Never; that wasn't an option. She would fight to the death…until her blood painted the ground and breath stopped coming to her lungs.

* * *

Leon simply fell back, too tired to do anything more than pant for breath. Every step he took was an act of sheer force fighting the winds that threatened to keel him. The snow had risen to his knees, and he fought for every inch of space he moved across.

* * *

The Professor winced as he pressed his hand against the wound in his shoulder. At the very least, the rush of snow would cover his tracks in a short amount of time and give him some leeway to plan.

* * *

Sakura leapt onto the nearest building, glancing back constantly to look for Abel…she lost him so easily in the white out with his silvery hair and blue eyes…

But it was the first time in a long time she was glad she had pink hair; most of the time, it was a source of chagrin for her and her commanders: it was difficult to disguise, too rare to pass off as anyone but her, and didn't hold dye well. But here it was useful as a primitive tracking beam.

Thankfully, he was right behind her…as always.

She shivered involuntarily with the next gust of wind---her outfit was hardly appropriate for the sudden turn in weather. But even before that spasm had passed, his jacket had folded around her shoulders.

"Abel-san, no." She replied, shaking her head.

"I, Sakura, am fully clothed." He replied with a smirk.

She blushed, mumbling some half-intelligent argument that she was, too.

* * *

Vaclav smiled to himself as Kate's voice came over his bio-com-link: She had reached the Empire and was docking. But, more importantly, Methuselah warships were being dispatched. Among those on the ships were Astharoshe Asran, the Duchess of Kiev, and the Count of Memphis along with Baybars of the Royal Guard.

* * *

Father Hugue smiled faintly to himself as he examined the body of the dismembered Methuselah at his right: it was quite clear that it was in fact an extension of Dietrich's original Auto-Jagers---these were much stronger, and the wiring suggested that they would be able to perform Haste, or Acceleration, for a much longer period of time than previously could be maintained, their muscles had also been rigged to perform at a much higher rate without the risk of cellular and tissue break-down, moreover, parts of their intelligent, higher thinking brain had been left intact, but overridden with electronic chips and plates that were obviously Empire technology, likely stolen, given the recent progress with the Empire.

But this was bad news for all of them: the last waves had been basic Auto-Jagers…these were much more advanced…

* * *

Kate uplinked with the Methuselah warship _Red Widow _and began to load the files on the last known positions of the remaining Vatican enforces with special attention for the AX.

"These statistics are outdated by at least twenty-four hours." Astha stated, chewing thoughtfully on her lip.

"And the best we have." Ion replied.

"True. We can assume a few things, given our previous experiences with some of the Vatican members: Father Abel is quite good at forcing the enemy into a narrow position and obliterating them, leaving very little in terms of doubt about his whereabouts. Father Leon, naturally, would head straight for a fight and the Professor would very carefully secure a perimeter and fight from there." Baybars said, pulling up a rough triangulation using Kate's systems.

* * *

Tres followed the tracks in the snow, able to calculate the millimeters difference in depth and width that proved it was a trail made by two people following after one another.

Likely, he deduced based on fine weight and depth penetration analyzes, Abel Nightroad and Haruno Sakura.

* * *

Sakura collapsed against the cold stone of an ancient, marble angel, struggling to catch her breath.

"Sakura…" Abel trailed off worriedly.

"I'm fine." She replied with a weak smile as she forced herself up and continued on.

* * *

"Nearing minimum range for maximum resolution." Kate said with a smile as she linked to the Methuselah systems once again.

"Negative." Astha replied, "There's far too much distortion in the air to assure your transfer."

"What?!" Kate cried.

"You heard her right." Ion replied, typing furiously on the nearest key pad, "Estimated time of arrival has just increased by four hours."

"Damn it." Astha hissed.

* * *

Vaclav disappeared into the chaos, tearing Methuselah corpses apart as quickly as they could come at him. Brilliant arcs of crimson disappeared into the white out, staining the white snow scarlet. Bones snapped, organs tore, muscle ripped, and skin was shredded beneath his talented hands, his feet moving in perfect, mechanical coordination.

* * *

The Professor gave a small smile of victory as he parried the ax away with the blade hidden in the wooden case of his cane. With a swift upward knee to the undead creature's stomach, he spun and cleaved its head straight from its heavily armored shoulders.

Dancing back from his companions, he ducked left, appearing behind the next and ripping it in half before slamming the blade through its skull to ensure a kill. Feigning left, he struck right, tearing through the goggles and into the eye socket of the next, twisting the sharp protrusion for maximum damage.

"Is that all you have?" He asked with a smile, whipping the cane slightly to clear the gore.

The next wave descended and he moved…

* * *

Hugue moved, a blonde and gray blur, through the heavily clustered Auto-Jagers, heads and limbs flying behind him. Even if he couldnt kill them as efficiently as he wanted to, he could make it impossible for them to attack. In a single, practiced motion, four heads went flying, three sets of arms splattered against the snow, and eight legs were severed.

He shifted in between shadow and visibility, from into the snow to directly in front of them, and each movement was a fatal blow for the nearest creature; a lethal ballet that was choreographed to their inevitable destruction, the music the fading beat of their hearts and the shredding of their bodies.

* * *

Abel cried the command, a sudden electrical discharge pulsing off of him with enough force to obliterate the first ranks of the newest wave. His scythe swept through the next row a moment later, the tail end of it snapping well into the third string.

Behind him, Sakura's hands snapped outwards, chakra flowing into them and literally vaporizing the spinal cords. Her leg snapped up, breaking the third's neck with an audible crack; spinning with the momentum of the movement, she pulled between the next two and back-handed both hard enough to send their heads tumbling. Flipping over the ax flung at her ankles, she slammed her foot through the abdomen of the nearest and pulled up, cleaving him in half.

Abel materialized behind her a moment later, pressed back to back against her.

"They're stronger than the last ones…faster…" She panted, wiping sweat away from her eyes despite the bone chilling cold.

He nodded in agreement as he batted another ax out of the air. It landed with an audible clack a moment later, spiraling across the frozen pavement. In the time it took the weapon to come to a stop, the air was a sea of blood as the duo tore through the next round.

**Six hours later…**

Sakura and Abel, half-dragging each other, half-crawling themselves, collapsed on the ground. The storm had let up in small sectors for brief periods of time…not even Helga could maintain that barrage for so long…but now she appeared quite rested based on the ferocity of the new wave of white pouring over them.

They moved into a cathedral; the roof had only recently collapses and formed a primitive room off to the side that was free of the three foot depth of snow elsewhere.

His destroyed wings trailed blood across the white snow, her own crimson life force leaking from multiple wounds.

"Master…" She trailed off, eyeing his wounds; chakra moved to her hands.

"No." He replied throatily, catching her wrist gently, "Save your strength."

"But, Master…"

"I heal quickly." He assured her, scanning her cheeks and the flushed skin of her chest and throat…her fever had returned.

* * *

"Switching from Strategic Planning Mode to Genocide Mode."

Tres fired casually, all of his shots guaranteed kills. His eyes glowed a faint red with the rapid calculations pouring into his head and the analysis that he was completing. In a single fluid motion, he floated across the snow, firing as he moved, clips snapping back into place as empty magazines fell into the snow.

Damaged weaponry was abandoned in the snow, new firearms produced from the folds of his jacket as he cleared an entire block. The fiery light of his eyes died back again, his guns falling back into the holsters hidden in his clothing and on his hips.

* * *

Sakura leapt up, her senses firing wildly as she defended against the nearest attacker as best she could, sliding backwards with the force of the impromptu kick that collided with its chest.

Abel's talons bit into the throat of it a moment later, severing its head from its body. A second later, she repaid the favor as another came at his back: she slipped between them, catching its ax with the kunai in her left hand, crossing over her chest as her right hand balled into a first and slammed against its chin, the body erupting into a spray of brilliant red.

Abel's massive wings shook mightily, his body lifting upwards as his scythe swept across the air, destroyed Methuselah bodies raining down around Sakura, their blood pouring down on her.

And a moment later, gunfire erupting around both of them, bodies hitting the floor.

"Target Elimination confirmed."

"Tres…"Abel smiled.

Below, Sakura's smile told him everything; relief was written so clearly across her face, he felt it vicariously.

"Immediate evacuation to a more easily secured location is advised." He stated simply.

Abel nodded, motioning for them to follow---even in the white-out, he could see better above them in Crusnik mode than they could from their position on a clear day.

* * *

"Approaching minimum range." Baybars stated as he uploaded Kate's image.

"On my count." Astha replied, her hand coming up, her fingers going down before her wrist snapped down.

The switch was flipped and the photons escaped the ship.

* * *

Abel sank down on the ground as Sakura collapsed forward, both struggling to catch their breath.

"Requesting damage report." Tres stated, kneeling beside the kunoichi.

"Uninjured." She replied.

"Minor injuries from close quarters combat." Abel lied between gasps.

"Multiple enemies approaching from all sides. ETA: five minutes."

"Kate, reporting."

Sakura's head snapped up as the hologram's feet filled her eyes, her own emerald orbs drifting to the strawberry blonde's kind eyes.

"Recommended course of action?" Tres asked.

"Situation brief?" Kate replied.

"Neither Father Abel nor Sister Sakura have sufficient physical reserves to assure victory. Likewise, munitions on low. Chance of victory is less than fifteen percent."

Kate's eyes narrowed, softening with dread and guilt: she would survive, as a picture comprised of color and light, as her friends were killed and there was nothing she could do.

"Father Abel…a Crusnik is like a Methuselah, right?" Sakura asked.

He nodded, still on his hands and knees panting for breath.

"Kate-san…what about my blood?" She asked, her head snapping up.

"What do you mean?" She asked hesitantly.

"Will it work!?" Sakura screamed, forcing herself up threatening.

The hurt on Kate's face registered for only a moment before she rocked her head in indecision.

"Will it!?" Sakura demanded again, the energy of the enemy flickering across her cold skin.

"It wouldn't be nearly as nourishing as the blood of a Methuselah…"

Sakura didn't respond, she simply fell to her knees beside Abel, tearing open the collar of her shirt to expose her neck and an expanse of her chest. She slipped her arms under his, hauling him up to his knees, and pressing his head gently against her neck.

He shook his head furiously; it would be unforgivable. If only those Auto-Jagers weren't technically walking corpses…they had remained in such a state for so long, their blood didn't only lack a sufficient colony of the Bacillus virus, but was harmful to his system.

"Please…" hot tears rolled down her face, washing across his cheek and over her neck and chest, "I need you…Please…"

The terror in her voice was so real, the utter pleading in her salty tears….He had sworn to protect humans…

"Sakura…"

The same energy, only closer…stronger, danced across her skin and she shuddered beneath him.

"I'm begging you…" She whispered.

"Forgive me." He replied, his mouth parting.

"There's nothing to forgive." She said, feeling his lips move gently.

She felt the penetration, the delicate pinprick of his fangs, but no pain…no, she felt sensation much lower; a tug inward as he drank, a momentary withdrawal as he swallowed…her breathing grew heavier, her hands groping vainly behind her for substance---his wings….their sheer size made the impossible to grasp and cling to… a cold hand found her's, Tres reaching out in a moment of kindness. She gripped his hand tightly, fighting the rising tide of sensation in her lower belly.

Kate and Tres averted their eyes, knowing their intrusion was impossible to avoid and knowing that the giving and taking of blood was highly intimate.

"Abel." She gasped as he applied gentle pressure to the small of her back, lifting and arching her to better expose her throat, oblivious to the fact her hips were flushed against his. Her free hand came across his back, her fingers digging into the destroyed fabric as she felt the upward pull of his mouth. His wings trembled slightly, falling around her as he leaned over her, pushing her gently to the ground, his body arched over her delicate frame. She moved beneath him, pushing against him in submission as he pulled life force from her. A moment later, he had pulled her up into a sitting position.

She felt two still-hot tendrils of blood run down her chest as he withdrew, his tongue sweeping against the wound once more, lapping up the remaining ruby droplets.

Her world had long begun to darken and fade and the next thing she knew was a brilliant flash of light that glowed from her vantage point, stretched across the ground.

Tres was over her in an instant, shielding her from the flying debris, the bodies, and pressing his palm against the punctures in her slender throat.

"Damage report indicated symptoms indicative of traumatic blood loss." He stated, his voice wobbling to her ears.

Kate replied waspishly that that was a statement of the obvious and radioed the Methuselah warship.

She never finished the call; several of the reanimated Methuselah corpses scurried from the shadows, axes drawn.

"No!" Kate cried as Tres was thrown from Sakura by a well-placed blow to the back of his shoulders.

Sakura's glassy eyes snapped open as she rolled onto her feet, stumbling back in time to avoid a blow to the chest. But it came at her again, too fast for her to evade…

Abel dropped between them in a blur of silver and black, rendering the corpse in half with a swift pull that brought the blade of his scythe across the creature.

"Stay away from her." He stated simply, spreading his left arm defensively as his wing cupped behind her. He pulled her close, cradling her against his chest.

"Master…"

"It's alright." He replied, anxiety crossing his crimson eyes for a flicker of a second.

"I trust you." She assured him, burying her face against his neck as he pulled her off her feet, her entire body supported by one arm.

He smiled, drawing back his scythe and lashing the chain out in the remaining gray of vampires, annihilating them instantly.

* * *

Sakura woke up in a massive bed, her wounds bandaged.

"What…Where am I?" She asked herself, fighting back her daze as she forced herself up.

"Aboard a Methuselah warship, in the quarters of the Duchess of Kiev." A young man replied.

Sakura turned over, her feverish eyes meeting his clear autumn red eyes.

"Count of Memphis…" She trailed off.

"Father Nightroad…"

"Master!" Sakura cried, scrambling up as the memories flooded over her, and sprinted into the hall.

She rounded the corner badly, slamming against Astha, who had the presence of mind to catch her as she stumbled back.

"Hold it. You should be resting." She hissed.

"No, Master…"

"Yes?" He interrupted, appearing from the next hall over.

She broke away from the Viscountess of Odessa and collided with him, twining her fingers in his jacket as she sank to the floor. He fell with her, catching her up in his arms.

"I'm so sorry." He said, averting his eyes.

"For what?" She asked, tears gathering in her eyes.

"To have taken from you…that you had to see the monster I am…."

"Don't say that!" She snapped, curling closer against him, "You're not a monster."

He smiled faintly, smoothing her hair against her scalp.

"Father, pardon my audacity, but perhaps it would best for her to return to bed." Astha stated a moment later.

"Of course." He replied, swinging her easily into his arms.

* * *

He laid her down in his own bed, pulling the blanket across her.

"What happened?"

"With the help of the Empire, Rome will be retaken in short order." He replied.

"And the AX members?"

"They're all fine, if not a little worse for wear."

She smiled faintly with relief before shuddering slightly and curling under the downy cover.

His eyes widened slightly in realization: there was no way she could have recovered so quickly from the advanced state of hypothermia and blood loss she had sustained, let alone the fever that had recurred during their time in the field.

He sat down, kicking off his boots and shrugging off his jacket before he slipped in beside her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.

"Methuselah are such hardy creatures that they very rarely carry the supplies necessary to the medical treatment of humans." He explained.

She nodded, moving against him. She hadn't realized how cold she was until she had something to compare her body to.

Abel frowned slightly to himself at the icy chill of her skin. He felt entirely responsible for her current state: from the moment he had pierced her neck, he had tasted the illness on her blood, the bitter edge in the crimson fluid. But even through that, he had continued to drink the strong, sweet fluid that flowed through her veins. If he had stopped any sooner, he wouldn't have been able to obtain the eighty percent output that had ultimately saved them…but if he had found a way, she wouldn't be so sick…

And another thing puzzled him: he had never heard of a Crusnik being able to sustain for any period of time on human blood, but he supposed it was similar to a human choosing tofu over animal meats. In fact, he had already been forced to feed off one of the Methuselah aboard the airship; Astha, seeing his condition, demanded he take a small portion of her blood. Ultimately, he had…but not to the extent he had taken from Sakura; that wasn't to say that he hadn't drunk quite a bit, of course---as a noble of the empire, she had some of the purest, strongest blood. It had simply taken _less_ than it _usually_ would have to fill him.

"Master…"Sakura trailed off.

"Yes?" He replied.

"Thank you…for saving me."

He smiled faintly to himself, "You were the one who saved me."

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter Eleven: Aftermath**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Trinity Blood or Naruto!**_

Sakura sighed in defeat as she rose from the destroyed cathedral floor, her gun still in her hands.

"I can't believe we managed to defeat them at all…" She said to herself as she pushed her hair away from her eyes.

"I know the feeling." Leon replied as he climbed over the rubble.

"This is going to take forever to clean up." She added with a wry smirk.

"At least we're alive to clean it up." He responded.

Even she couldn't help but laugh at that.

"I'm going to look around for a little while longer." She stated as she walked away.

* * *

Sakura crouched down to rest for a moment. The sun, high above them, was making it difficult to exert much energy for a long period of time. Already she was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and she had only been out for a few minutes.

Something suddenly slinked into her vision and she cried out, "Stop!" before she could halt herself. She was up on her feet and running before she really knew what she was doing.

"Sasuke!" She screamed as she tore the destroyed lane.

His purple sash flickered in her vision down the next right and she sprinted after him.

"No! Please!" She cried as she turned down the next street, catching a glimpse of his katana sheath.

Endlessly, she pursued him through the streets, sure it was him…so sure it was painful even to think about it. Eventually, she found herself climbing over the remains of a church into its cathedral, debris and dust kicked up by her frantic movements.

She was so shocked to find _him_ sitting there that she didn't know what else to do but stop.

"O…Orochimaru…" She breathed.

"Haruno." He replied simply, appraising her with a look of…disinterest. It was…terrifying to see his eyes so blank and lifeless…nothing in them…not even a desire for power.

"What happened to you?" She asked before she could stop herself.

He just shrugged.

Gently, she crept forward, on her hands and knees as she knelt down beside him, her trembling hand coming across his shoulder, "Please."

"What would you have me do?" He asked.

"Tell me…what happened." She replied, choking on her own emotions.

"The same that I suspect happened to you." He replied.

Sakura flinched at the comment that was so out of character for him. It was all so very _wrong_. He should have been trying to kill her and she should try to be killing him, they shouldn't have been comforting each other in this…sick, twisted scene.

"Please…what do you know?"

He sighed, leaning in against her so close his lips were brushing against her ear and whispered, "Tsunade."

Sakura recoiled as if she had been struck. She peered up into his eyes and what she saw was so horrible she simply ran. Sheer terror took her, grabbed her, sunk firmly into the pit of her stomach and refused to be shaken off.

She had seen the one thing she feared most in those eyes: Truth.

She tore past Leon as some point, who cried out to her in obvious concern. But she didn't stop. Blonde hair flashed back her vision, and she knew it was Hugue, vainly trying to reach out to her. The Professor tried to stop her, even Vaclav at some point in her aimless, sudden need to _flee _flickered in her tear-blurred peripherals.

"Sakura!" The cry accompanied a sudden pull on her wrist and the flash of black and silver she knew so well, "What on Earth happened?"

She was crying far too hard to make an intelligible statement and pantomimed desperately, her chest heaving.

"Calm down." He ordered solemnly, his hands coming down gently on her shoulders as he demonstrated how to breath properly again.

Sakura fought him weakly for a moment before simply giving in and collapsing against his chest in a hysterical mass of tears and messy pink hair, sobbing something he couldn't make out. Not knowing what else to do, his arms came around her and held her tightly.

* * *

Caterina appraised the holographic woman before her with her blue eyes before nodding over the rim of her cup. The warm fluid filtered past her ruby red lips as she tilted the cup forward before setting it down and adjusting her blonde waves around her face more appropriately. Her slender fingers, sheathed in white silk, gently pushed her hat into place and adjusted the round of glass that framed her right eye. She had only just satisfied herself that her appearance was passable when an older female stepped into the room.

The first thing that struck her was the haunted look in her almost amber colored eyes. The second thing to surface, superficially, in the Duchess' mind was envy over the honey color of her hair. She would have been quite beautiful if it wasn't for the plain and dirty clothes hanging on an otherwise lovely body: full breasts and hips, pale skin, feminine proportions.

"How can I be of assistance?" The Cardinal finally asked.

"That depends entirely on your status." The woman replied in a husky, but somehow sensual balance between a soprano and a baritone.

"I assure you my position in considerable."

"There is a young woman among your ranks who I have a…history with." She responded.

"Her name?" Caterina replied, "If I might be so bold as to ask."

"Sakura."

Caterina didn't falter, only motioned for the woman to take a seat, "Quite impressive, if we think of the same individual."

The woman smiled, nodding with the warmth a mother might show when another praised the efforts of her child. But very quickly her face hardened, "What I am about to tell you, must never be repeated."

Caterina nodded, "Please, continue."

"Regarding the destruction of her home, I was intimately involved."

Caterina couldn't prevent the sharp inhalation that pushed through her lips.

The woman didn't wait for her to respond to continue, "However, it was not as…black and white as you might assume."

Caterina nodded again as she filled the spare cup on the tray with some tea and pushed it towards the female sitting opposite her, "Few things are." The woman thanked her with a curt nod, wrapping her slender fingers around the porcelain cup and drawing it to her lips.

"The world she knew was an illusion."

"How so?" Caterina asked as she lifted her own cup.

The woman stopped, apparently searching for the right words to respond, "It was…new, I suppose. There was no history to it; most of that was fabricated. It was necessary to make them believe in a different time, to make their abilities normal."

"And how do you know so much?" Caterina responded.

"Because for several years, I was their leader."

"What is your name, if I may ask?"

"It would be unfamiliar to you. But my name is Tsunade."

Caterina waited for her to continue, sipping as the tea that suddenly seemed bitter.

"We were…an experiment."

Caterina resisted the initial urge to gasp again and choked back the tea in her mouth before finding Tsunade's hazel eyes. The woman peered back at her for a moment before continuing, "We were the next generation of bio-weapons in the fight against Methuselah. We were to be faster, stronger, smarter, in every way their superiors."

"How is that possible?" Caterina asked, her voice harsher than she intended.

However, if she noticed the sudden edge to the Cardinal's voice, Tsunade gave no recognition of it, "That was the first major problem and it could be solved only one way: the Bacillus virus."

Caterina's eyes hardened but not in anger or hatred, only in sympathy she didn't dare show to her closest friends, let alone a complete stranger.

"From the time my grandfather was a small child, pregnant females were injected with different forms of the Bacillus virus, all of them genetically altered. We were attempting to make a new breed: Day Walkers---vampires immune to sunlight the way a human would be, but with all the strengths of a Methuselah. However, it wasn't until much later I realized just how many factions from the outside were involved. My former lover was one of the operatives for another faction…there were so many wars, private and otherwise…so much death."

Caterina allowed her a moment to recover before pressing her for more information.

"Whole continents were lost in Armageddon, we simply took up residence on one of them, made an entire world of smoke and mirrors that was so expert is still scares me."

"And how does Sakura play into this?"

"She was my protégé, a medical student like none I've ever seen. She was precious to me; she still is precious to me."

"Why did you come here?" Caterina finally asked.

"Since the…the incident, I've been trying to find out what happened. _Why_ it happened."

"Yes?"

"Someone in your ranks ordered the attack."

Caterina didn't deny it; more than likely, it was true: they had the money, manpower, and skills to do it covertly, quietly…

"It's too late for most of the people I love, but, please, protect her if you can."

Caterina's hand came across Tsunade and she squeezed gently, "You have my word."

Tsunade smiled back weakly, "And please, don't tell her I was here. She would hunt for me, for _shadows_, for the rest of her life. She's too…too young for that."

"I understand."

"Tsunade, may I ask a question of you?"

The blonde nodded.

"Do you have the name of the aggressor?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"Thank you." Caterina replied with a resigned nod.

"No, thank you." Tsunade replied before disappearing back through the door.

* * *

Sakura sputtered a weak reply over the rim of her cup as she tried desperately to make Abel _understand_. But every time she tried, she simply dissolved back into a hysteric sobs. And every time he would patiently coax her back to some form of composure and urge her to try again.

"I…I…I…" She hyperventilated between syllables, "And…he…he…he…"

Abel sat down beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close against the remaining chill in the air, against the fear that had so radically degraded her composure.

"Whatever it is, it will be alright." He told her simply.

She felt a sudden surge of anger rise up: _what_ did _he_ know about _anything_? But it was quickly replaced with a kind of…_defeat_—it just seemed…over. But there was no satisfaction; it was nothing like coming full circle…it just…it just was…

"Abel…Master…" She suddenly before just stopping.

"Yes?"

"You…you don't understand."

He didn't have time to respond before she had wriggled free of his grip and was running down the destroy lane.

"Sakura!" He called, reaching out as though he could capture her when she was already so far away and in so many more ways than one.

* * *

Abel sat back, feeling utterly helpless. He wasn't sure what he had said or done to upset her so badly…

She could be so like Esther, so emotional…but she was so driven and bright and sunny…

He shook his head; he was a man…not a boy. He didn't substitute one person for another. Esther would never be Lilith and Sakura would never be Esther. But it was hard not to compare them sometimes.

And suddenly he realized it wasn't what he had said or done…

It was what he _hadn't_ said or done…

* * *

Sakura ran until her legs finally gave out; not too far, considering how ill she was feeling. And after that, she simply found a quiet place to curl up in---the destroyed remains of a stone gargoyle that had been part of a church.

She sat there for a long time before a regal female voice demanded, "What are you doing out here?"

Sakura's eyes flickered up, though she didn't move her head. She didn't want Astha to think she had actually startled her. That was too much like letting the Viscountess win.

She suddenly realized she was being hostile, in thought, at least, and stood up to show the noble the proper respect---no matter how badly she didn't want to.

Astharoshe narrowed her amber cat eyes at the girl, clearly displeased. Sakura glared back, apparently unfazed.

"I'm waiting." The Duchess Kiev stated.

"Iowe you _nothing_. And what I'm doing out here is _my_ business." Sakura replied, trying unsuccessfully to beat back the hostility in her voice.

"I suppose you life doesn't matter, then." Astha growled.

"As I remember it, the battle was already concluded before you showed up." Sakura hissed.

"Insolent child." Astha replied.

Sakura smirked, the small gesture quickly becoming a mocking laugh.

Astha gave a feral growl, drawing her hand back to strike the kunoichi. Sakura straightened her arm, ready to catch the blow.

Neither was entirely sure what happened next, only that Abel had found a way between them and managed to catch both of them without so much as breaking a sweat. Quite the opposite in fact, he was smiling.

"Now, now ladies, we really must be more civil." He stated, releasing Astha, but not Sakura.

The Viscountess gave a sound of disapproval before turning away, while Sakura struggled fruitlessly in Abel's grip. It wasn't until the Duchess was long gone that he released her.

"You'll have to pardon Astha; she means well, but her tactics are sometimes questionable." He said with his usual goofy smirk as Sakura pulled back.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura demanded before she realized she was starting to sound like the Duchess of Kiev.

"Looking for you." He replied with a grin.

"I'm not a child." She hissed.

"Of course not." He replied, never losing his look of…she didn't have a word for it, but 'happy' was about as close as she could come. Irrationally, that just irritated her all the more.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his face falling into a much more solemn expression.

Sakura bit back the retort in her mouth: No, she was _fine_. After all, she had only _just_ lost her home all over again, met the _last_ person she wanted to see _ever_ again, had her _mother figure _implicated (However vaguely) in the fall of Konoha, and been berated by the _Duchess_. No, she was _fine_.

"I'm…"

"Don't say you're fine." Abel interrupted and with such intensity her breath froze in her throat, "If you're not."

"What would you know?" She asked, though the question was without conviction.

"More than I'd like to admit." He said with such a sad smile, she wanted to just make the hurt in his face go away.

Sakura mentally slapped herself---she already knew how much he had endured; she'd read it, true, and that was a lot different that actually experiencing it, but it was _something_…right?

She moved closer, meaning to hug him…or…well, honestly she didn't know what she _meant_ to do…

Only that, regardless of her previous intentions, she found her lips pressed flush against his. He froze beneath her for a moment, neither encouraging nor rejecting the contact before he suddenly righted his back, captured her shoulders, and gently pushed her away.

There was nothing, Sakura thought, that he could have done that would have been any crueler. She felt hot and cold at the same time, and the burning shame and embarrassment were almost more than she could bear without losing her composure.

"You're confused right now." He told her simply.

She shook her head; she couldn't have been _farther_ from confused. At least, not about him…She opened her mouth to tell him that, but nothing came out aside from a pathetic, emotion-choked noise of defeat.

"Perhaps…"

Sakura's hand came around his arm, pressing gently. Her head hung, her eyes averted, "I understand."

With that, she turned away and marched slowly back down the lane, the fading light of sunset washing over her tear-stained face.

Had she stayed, she would have heard Abel profess that he wanted to be with her, but he wanted it to be because of a genuine attraction, not because of a need to have _someone_, _anyone_ by her side.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter Twelve: Tripartite of Confliction**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Trinity Blood or Naruto!**_

Sakura curled up on the bow of the _Iron Maiden_, sitting on the metal dock that served intermittently as either a survey post or a platform to mount an attack. In this case, it was just a quiet place to be alone…which increasingly seemed to be what she was. Alone.

And for the briefest second, she thought that Abel just might be on her side. She snorted to herself, a disdainful noise that sounded completely wrong even to her own ears. She was wrong…of course.

She drew her legs up to her chest, looping her arms around her knees. She cried, but her tears were silent---she wasn't weeping like a child, the hurt was just too deep to be purged that simply.

* * *

"I can't believe she's a Methuselah." Caterina sighed to herself, gazing at her through the window of the office on the _Iron Maiden_.

It didn't seem possible: Sakura had never needed or even shown a _vague_ primal interest in blood, she lacked the innate sensuality of the vampires (that was not to say she couldn't be sexy, just that she had to consciously work towards it), she had no fangs…the only remotely indicative factor Caterina could find was her strength and speed---neither of which was uncommon among the AX.

She sighed again, resting her head on her slender, gloved hand as she absently swirled her cup with her free hand. The beige liquid rippled, a single drop spilling over the rim and onto the porcelain saucer. Irritation dictated another sigh before she set it back down.

It wasn't an issue of whether or not Sakura had a place in the AX---she had already proven herself that far---but whether she would stay or not. Caterina had no doubt the truth would surface, regardless of whether or not she was the one to give the information. But she was duty bound to hold her tongue after her promise to Tsunade. And, more than honor, there was the issue of…love.

* * *

Abel sat hunched over his stew, stirring it carelessly without bothering to look at it or even sample it. The bread on the side of his bowl remained untouched and even his milk tea hadn't been drained, despite the addition of his usual thirteen sugars.

"Never thought I'd see the day when Abel Nightroad refused food." Leon growled gruffly as he sat down opposite the priest.

"Oh…" Abel responded quietly.

Leon slammed his fist against the table to get his attention before finally asking, "What happened _now_?"

Abel glanced over, vaguely startled but unwilling to relent. "It's been a long day."

"Then go get some rest." Leon growled as he clapped him none too gently on the shoulder before marching off.

Abel's wintry eyes rolled back to the window that overlooked the destroyed Vatican City, stirring his soup again. He sighed, not bothering to take his eyes from the scene or stop his compulsive movement.

He was the one who was confused, that much was sure. It wasn't that there wasn't an attraction, quite the opposite, in fact. But…it would kill him to be hers one moment and then a friend just the next. That had happened with Noelle and it nearly tore him apart. Besides, she was just a child. Not by human standards, of course, but he was almost a millennia old and at least nine hundred years her senior. Not that that had matter with Esther…but she wasn't Esther! And Esther wasn't her and neither of them was Lilith! However, he had the distinct feeling he was being unfair to her by pushing her aside so readily when even he felt the same way. But he wanted…_time_; time to decide and time for _her_ to decide as well.

* * *

_How many more_, she wondered, _are alive_?

If…if Orochimaru had survived, surely someone else _might_ have. He was a Sannin, of course, and she imagined that had figured heavily in his survival. But…there _was_ dumb-luck. Like Naruto's. And there was skill…like Sasuke and Kakashi. There was…there was a _chance_.

But…was she willing to stake everything on that one, small, infinitesimal chance? Even her life…her sanity? She didn't know. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know the answer herself.

Sakura stood up, grasping the rail as she did so to remind herself of her own strength. Her legs could still carry her, her arms could still defend her, and her mind could still serve her…even if it _felt_ like living death.

She set her mouth in a grim line as she stepped up on the rail overlooking a hundred foot plunge. She found her balance easily, tottering not even for a moment before she had centered herself. She took a deep breath, flipping herself over and landing easily on the bar again. Arching her back, she brought her legs in a curve over her head, balancing on one arm before letting herself down.

Pumping her fist, she realized she was still a kunoichi…she could still fight. And, if she could still fight, then…then _maybe_ it _was_ worth staking everything on that one hope…that one foolish, naïve, small, _impossible_ hope.

Sasuke's image flashed unbidden into her head…The _avenger_. Did…did she really want to be _that_? Wasn't that like…like being consumed by hate and anger until _you_ didn't even exist anymore…only a shell of yourself…eaten out and hollow…?

* * *

Caterina toyed with the word, with the whole _idea_ of the word.

It was so simple: four letters strung together to make a word. That word had a definition. That definition came with a connotation. The definition was a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness. Emotionally, it meant everything from a shallow like of something as simple as grandma's apple pie to something as intense as the passion that resulted in marriage. It was sexual and innocent, sharp and soft, white and black and gray, it was…a jumble of everything and nothing…something so tangible but so incorporeal; something so important and so irrelevant.

Caterina loved Kate's teas, for instance, and she loved Abel. It was the same word, but the feeling was so very different, so much more important in the latter. It wasn't even romantic or sensual…it just _was_.

So if she, a woman of her power and knowledge of herself, could be so conflicted and not at the same time, how could she begin to fathom what Tsunade felt. How far, she wondered, did the depth of Tsunade's love run? It was easy to judge the blonde, to condemn her for her actions…but Caterina sinned frequently, and, many times, happily for what she felt needed to be done. Occasionally, she even refused to repent. So who was she to judge the contrite woman who had come to her for aid and comfort? She knew the answer: _No one_. She was _no one_ to judge or damn…especially not someone so…so like _herself_.

But…if she felt the love of Sakura, no matter how shallowly when compared with Tsunade, did she have a duty to tell Sakura the truth? Did she dare risk the answers being revealed at the wrong time, or, worse, the wrong _person_?

Caterina sighed to herself.

So much was at stake, personally, publically, politically…she might have to risk harming those she loved to save them from greater suffering. She didn't enjoy being the 'bad guy', but sometimes it was a necessary evil. But…in this case, she didn't have an answer to her own dilemma. And it was a dilemma she had put herself in to begin with.

She silently berated herself: as a woman of politics and religion, she should have known better to make the promises she had without thinking them over and weighing them first. But she hadn't…and the consequences were hers alone to deal with.

* * *

He was an idiot.

That was the only conclusion Abel Nightroad, traveling priest of the Vatican and Crusnik 02, could come to about himself. He had a complete and utter inability, it seemed, to react appropriately to any situation that the female gender could toss at him.

He sighed, a mingled noise of acceptance and defeat before he spooned his now lukewarm stew into his mouth. It would have been great, he realized, had he gotten to it half an hour earlier because, as it was, it was pretty good.

Even if he told himself consciously that Esther and Sakura weren't Lilith and Lilith wasn't them, there was always that underlying reason why he chose them; Esther more for her appearance, granted, than her personality similarity with Lilith. Sakura, who bore no resemblance to the late Sahl, was the opposite case. She was strong, beautiful, persuasive, and above all had a desire for justice and a sense of…_morality_. And even more astounding was her ability to judge fairly the creatures who were so like the ones who had taken away her home, friends, family---her _life_.

But again he came to the conclusion that, if they were to be together, he wanted them to be together for the right reasons. Not because she wanted just someone and not because he just needed someone. They had to need each other specifically, at the right time and the right moment and in the right ways.

* * *

Sakura's fingers trailed lightly over her lips as she remembered the feel of Abel's against them. Soft, warm…inviting. But…that was only for a moment, she reminded herself. And even with that painful, cruel, aching memory at the front of her mind, she couldn't help but feel…._aroused_, really.

It was exciting to have taken the plunge, even if it hadn't turned out quite as she hoped. It was…spontaneous and beautiful, even if for only a moment. She felt empowered by her sudden control of the situation and the innate knowledge that she didn't recognize at the time…the knowledge of her body and what she _wanted_.

Her fingers traced down over her lips and over the curve of her collarbone. She didn't dare drop her hand lower; she was far from ready to be as open about her body as perhaps Tsunade or Ino were…was, perhaps….but it was still thrilling to realize that her body was just as _primal_ as it was proper.

And suddenly the crushing rejection came back to her and her hand fell away to her side.

* * *

Caterina found something exhilarating in her line of work. Why else would she choose to put herself in danger again and again? Because it was the danger she liked. It was exciting to hear the sudden rush of adrenaline laced blood in her ears and to feel her heartbeat pulse increasingly under the weight of her robes, and to feel the beads of sweat roll down her neck and gather thinly in her hairline.

As a woman of power and position, she wasn't in any role to love. That wasn't to say that sex was out of the question, of course, but that, should she ever make that decision, it would be strictly for physical pleasure; or, horribly enough, for information. It was a sacrifice she had accepted she might have to make and it didn't bother her to think of it the way it once had. It was sad, but that was all. But it was also very sad that, even to Abel or Tres or any number of men who had once loved her or still did, she couldn't relinquish her heart.

Love, at least in the most real and sincere terms, was forever closed to her. She could indulge in the shallow kind of affection that was freely referred to as love, but never in the way she had once imagined she could.

As a girl, she had read her fair share of romance novels and the like and she secretly found the erotic scenes exciting. But, long before she was even given the position of Cardinal, she knew that love, the kind in those books, wasn't meant for her.

* * *

Abel briefly, _very_ briefly, pondered the kiss they had shared.

He had to admit, it had been quite a moment and one he would remember for a long time. There was something about the heat of her lips on his that was welcoming. With Lilith, he had never had the chance for a real kiss. In that one brief moment Sakura had pressed her lips against his, she had moved farther than Lilith ever had. Not because she didn't want to, but because…because circumstance didn't allow for it.

He sighed, thinking on his private…shame wasn't the right word…it was too pure and right to be shame and too private to be anything else. It was just…just a memory.

A memory of the night before Cain finally proved himself insane. It was such a warm memory…until he remembered how it ended so shortly after. He remembered the way Lilith kisses his cheek, running her hand down his chest and stomach _just_ past the point of comfort. The way her eyes had found his, the flirtatious sway of her hips and the curve of her lips as she asked him to come to her room that next night. She just wanted to speak with Cain, to finally settle issues on Earth before she turned to her own private matters, she's said.

He agreed readily, still very much driven by adolescent hormones but even allowing for that, there was love there…real love, not lust.

He swallowed hard back against the lump of stew suddenly caught in his throat and moved to twirl the remaining in the bowl to calm his thoughts. But he found it had been sitting for so long in the cold, it was more of a lumpy custard with a sticky skin laid over it.

* * *

Sakura gazed briefly upwards, reaching out as though she could perhaps capture a star in her hand and bring it down, to cradle in her hand. It was a foolish, childish sentiment…but it was a carefree one.

Something fluttered in her field of vision and she looked over to see the sky raining large white feathers, of all things…

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

_**Chapter Thirteen: Plots**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Trinity Blood or Naruto. I only love them with a fiery passion befitting a thousand white hot suns…**_

Sakura felt her eyes closing against her will as the white feathers danced around her. Her body went limp and for a moment, she almost welcomed the sensation of peacefulness…but something was…was undoubtedly _wrong_, she realized as her eyes fluttered shut.

"Attractive for a monster." Cain stated as he landed beside her, running his long fingers across her lips with a smirk. Gently, he swung her arm over his neck and lifted her into his arms.

"Abel?" She muttered in her sleep.

Cain just smiled, "Not quite, my dear."

* * *

Caterina finally found Abel and took the liberty of sitting beside him. She glanced up at him sideways, trying to find his eyes with hers. It took a moment, but eventually he met her gaze and even managed a small, somewhat sad smile.

"She really needs you." She sighed.

"I know." He finally replied after what seemed like an eternity of silence.

"She's sitting out on the observation deck." Caterina said as she stood and left with a sense of satisfaction that she had not only kept Tsunade's confidence, but had also found a way to honor her request.

* * *

Abel hesitated for only a moment before turning the handle on the door and stepping out into the night. But to his surprise, she wasn't there, only a few, large white feathers.

He hummed slightly in curiosity as he knelt and picked one of them up. He recoiled instantly as if he had been burned, rubbing his hand on his jacket to rid himself of the sensation. There was only one person he knew of who left behind that kind of stinging, sickly aura that literally screamed of insanity and death.

He knelt down on the platform, running his fingers over the cool gray metal. It was still warm in a few places, meaning it hadn't been more than a few minutes since he had been there. Carefully, he removed his glasses. Really, all they did was make his gaze less intense, without them, he could see things a human, or an android, wouldn't be able to. And he saw a flash of pink and black…their energy signatures…had _mingled_.

He hissed under his breath, anger flashing red in his eyes. He realized as he drew back his nails were elongating, his fangs growing.

It took an effort greater than any he'd ever known before, but he stopped the nano-machines in his blood and forced his body back into its dormant phase. If he went Crusnik too soon, Cain would pick up on him and that could have disastrous consequences for Sakura.

He cried out to Kate, giving her concise orders in her relay to Caterina, and then he was gone.

* * *

Sakura's eyes fluttered open and she wondered where she was before the realization took hold of her. Sitting up, her eyes flickered desperately around the ornate room, her senses ringing with their attempt to detect danger. But finding none, she had no choice but to calm herself and try to find a way out.

She pushed the sheet off of herself, attempting to climb out of the mass of pillows she had been placed on. A cool draft skirted her chest and stomach as she did and for a moment, she thought that was weird. And then she realized she wasn't wearing anything.

The door to her left creaked suddenly, a shaft of light growing as it was opened. Reactively, she tugged the sheet from the floor, flinging it over her torso. A shadow filled the door frame, light backlight making it impossible to see until the door closed.

"Dietrich!" She hissed, though it lacked the conviction she had hoped for when she opened her mouth.

He smirked at her as he stepped closer, his hands behind his back.

"Stay back!" Sakura cried, pressing herself against the wall when she realized, for some reason, she couldn't work her chakra into anything recognizable.

He just walked up to her, pinning her to the wall with his arm as he leaned down against her, his lips brushing against her ear, "You really are pathetic."

Sakura's eyes narrowed as she drew her hand back and flung it forward, aiming for his face in a moment of pure vindictive reaction. But to her horror, he managed to catch the blow…and smirked as if she had just proven his point.

"What did you do to me?" She demanded angrily.

"Oh, that." He stated, "I just…had some fun."

Sakura felt her fear shoot coldly down her spine and back up it as a cool bead of sweat rolled down her pale throat.

"Didn't I tell you?" He smirked, running his fingers down her pulsing throat, trailing to her collarbone.

Sakura shook herself free, pressing herself against the next wall to hide her bare back.

Dietrich eyed her with amusement, throwing his head back and laughing as he stepped back out of the room. Sakura hadn't even sighed in relief before, impossibly, a pair of hands seized her from behind. A cry caught in her throat as one of the clawed hands clamped over her mouth. Impossibly, she felt a body push out from behind her, his chest flush against her back. In a moment of knee-jerk terror, she spun in his grasp.

"Cain!" She cried over the muffle of his hand.

He smirked, pushing her back so forcefully she toppled back on the pillows. She curled back in on herself, trying to hide her bare body and protect herself at the same time.

"What do you want from me?" She demanded.

"What do you think?" He replied.

"You will not touch me!" She screamed.

"Sex? How naïve you are." He chuckled, "I wouldn't touch a monster."

"Look who's talking." Sakura snapped back.

"Foolish girl." He sighed amusedly, "You don't even know."

Sakura swallowed against her suddenly dry throat, "Know what?"

"That you're a vampire. That your 'home' was just a science experiment." He said.

"Liar." Sakura said, meaning for it to be a scream…but it was a whispered lost in her throat.

"Am I?" Cain asked, shifting so suddenly, his hand was forcing her chin up before she realized he had moved.

Sakura flinched back, falling over herself as she did.

Cain smiled as he continued, "You, pretty, were one of those experiments. A Methuselah known as a Day Walker. You were injected with special strains of the Bacillus virus, clustered into 'clans' and turned free into your make-believe world. You were observed, picked off if you failed to meet his expectations…lab rats, really."

Sakura felt tears welling in her eyes…he _couldn't_ be right…it was…

"Impossible." She whispered.

"As impossible as the world around you? As impossible as me?" He smirked as he leaned in.

Sakura felt something break inside of her, as real as the tear of flesh or the snap of a bone, and felt her tears roll down her bloodless face.

"Stop…please…" She cried.

"Oh, but we haven't even gotten to the best part." He smiled, "Your so called leaders, all of them answered to him. They knew, they knew and never told you. Not even yours."

Sakura gave a cry of rage, lashing out at him with her bare hand. He caught it easily, twisting it behind her back to subdue her. She whimpered, more out of fear for her sudden helplessness than pain and he knew it.

"Entire continents were deemed unsuitable for life after Armageddon. But some weren't. Some were just floating laboratories, like yours. Places for science experiments without the restrictions an organized government might place on them. Why do you think air and sea travel were so heavily guarded?"

Sakura grunted beneath him, a vain attempt at masking her quiet sobbing. It had never occurred to her why those things have been so limited. She assumed it was because of the uneasy political balances. A cruise ship could well be taken for an enemy vessel, a flying apparatus for a spy mission…it made sense, but his made more.

"Please, just stop…" She cried.

But he didn't…he continued, "You and your cell showed high potential from the moment of your birth. Aside from you, of course. But you…grew into your own."

Sakura curled up as best she could beneath him, wishing it would just end. Death would be a welcome response, she knew…and she hated herself for wanting to give up…but it would be so easy to just…slip _away_.

"But someone decided you were too great a risk. As biological weapons, you carried you own set of benefits and limitations. And, besides, to push you to your full potential required measures even scientists were hesitant to take. Your puppy-love, for example, _Sasuke_. Do you think he would have grown so powerful without the motivation Itachi was ordered to give? Your leader knew nothing had been planned, but he was given and order, and like a good shinobi, he followed. Just like a _dog_."

She felt sick, dizzy…how could he sound so much like a child, react so much like a child, and be so evil…how was it possible? Bile rose up in her throat and she had to force it back down to avoid choking.

"What do you want from me?" She pleaded.

"I only wanted to tell you the truth." He stated, running his tongue across her neck.

"I…I thought you wouldn't touch me…" She stammered fearfully.

"I've…_changed_ my mind." He responded.

The fragile crystal sound of breaking glass filled the room and her head snapped up, but Cain's smile just widened.

"Oh, yes, Brother." Cain stated, "Just as impulsive as ever, I see. And to barge in on such a thing."

Sakura was too stunned to speak up; how could he dare to imply such a thing. Her throat felt drier, if that was possible, her stomach clenching sickeningly.

Abel's eyes flashed red, his hair rising around his face, his bow falling away from the silver locks as his fangs grew. Blood poured from his palm, taking shape before her eyes.

"Oh, shall I leave you two alone?" Cain asked as he phased back through the wall, waving his hand at them in a mocking good-bye.

"Abel…" Sakura trailed off, trying to explain what had just happened.

"Don't," He hissed, "speak my name."

"Master!" Sakura cried out desperately.

Before she knew what had happened, he had pinned her to the wall by her neck, his nails digging into her flesh. His crimson eyes flashed dangerously as he lowered the blade of his scythe to her throat.

"I should kill you." He stated.

Sakura's eyes widened in shock, tears spilling over her face again.

"Blood for blood, a life for a life." He finally sighed, dropping her to the floor and turning around.

"Please!" She cried, reaching for the hem of his robe.

But he just pulled away and walked towards the shattered window. He turned around once, his eyes suddenly soft and somehow sad.

Sakura felt her rage build again as she spotted her own blood dotting the white sheet still wrapped around her body. Her head snapped up, her eyes meeting his.

"You're just like him." She replied. It was just an angry statement, lacking a shout or tears to match the agony she felt so acutely.

Abel's eyes widened, his mouth dropping as if he meant to say something in his defense. But he just stepped out through the window, glass cracking beneath his feet.

For a flicker of an instant, she considered crying out to him again. But she didn't. What difference would it make?

She wasn't sure how long she lay there, watching blood from the punctures in her throat drip onto the sheet, spattering it with blooms of red. It couldn't have been more than a few minutes, because when the blood flow stopped, she stumbled to her feet.

She stood there for a moment or two, pulling the sheet apart and wrapping a suitable measure of it around her torso. Free to move again, she carefully walked through the shards of glass littering the tile and climbed out through the window.

* * *

Sakura ran through the wet streets, oblivious to her bleeding feet and her injured throat and aware only of the unrelenting, agonizing pain in her chest. Somehow, she found herself back at a familiar place and knew she had been in Albion the whole time. She didn't even try to reason the time and travel distance factors…that was just wasted energy.

She threw herself against the door, sobbing against the metal as she knocked desperately. It opened so suddenly, she just tumbled onto him. But he was fast enough to catch her, supporting her negligible weight in his arms.

"Sakura…" Virgil stated, wrapping his arms around her to hold.

She relayed what she could through her broken sobs, her face buried against him the entire time.

"I'm so sorry." He replied simply, unable to even begin to fathom the depth of her pain.

"Where am I supposed to go?" She wept.

"There is no need for you to go anywhere." He replied as he closed the door behind her.

Sakura sobbed again, out of relief and gratefulness as he sat her down and wrapped a throw around her shoulders.

He smiled as he sat down beside her, brushing her tear-damp bangs from her face. Pulling a kerchief from his pocket with his free hand, he gently wiped her face clean, using the then-damp cloth to clean the dried blood off of her neck.

"I'm so sorry." She said.

"Why?" He asked, smiling softly as he continued to clean her face.

"To burden you like this…"

"You," He said, his eyes suddenly fierce, "are not a burden."

"How can you be so sure?" She asked, "I've only been here twice. Once when I was ill and now…and neither time have I been helpful."

"We have long been considered a burden, a plague; you are just lost. You will find you way. And you seem the type who gives, not takes." He replied easily.

Sakura emerald eyes widened ever so slightly as he smiled at her, taking her hands in his as he dropped the dirty handkerchief.

"You're cold." He observed, rolling her hands in his to warm them.

Sakura felt a single tear gather in her eye which was quickly wiped away with his thumb.

"I believe a good meal and some rest is in order." He stated as he stood up, offering his hand which she readily took.

* * *

Sakura sat across from him in a pair of Vanessa's jeans and shirt she had lent her. It was a romantic scene, but devoid of romance of any kind. If anything, he was being paternal or brotherly more than loving. And she appreciated it; she was hurt and, she hated to admit _he_ had been right about anything, confused. It was easier to have a relationship that lacked the strings of a romantic tryst.

She looked over at him, gently spooning some soup through her parted lips as he did the same.

"Is it to your liking?" He asked.

"It's delicious, thank you." She replied with as much enthusiasm as she could.

He smiled back with an incline of his head as he stirred his soup.

"We really should tend to those wounds." He stated after a moment of quiet observation.

Sakura dropped her spoon without meaning to as she lifted her fingers to the perforations in her neck. She realized for the first time how bad they were; his nails hadn't just punctured her throat, but when he pulled back, he had torn the flesh. They weren't really life-threatening, but they looked bad, she knew without having seen them.

"I'll take care of them, don't worry." She replied.

He clearly didn't like it, but he nodded his consent.

Dinner passed slowly, but not in the unpleasant, lagging way. It was just…blessedly _quiet_. And it was concluded when she finally fell into a bed and closed her eyes, drifting away into the void of sleep.

* * *

Sometime later, Sakura woke up and forced herself back onto her feet. Finding her way to a bathroom, she flipped on the light. Hissing with the sudden intrusion in her eyes, she waited for her vision to clear before glancing at her neck.

"Yeesh…" She growled as she turned on the faucet. Grabbing a small hand cloth from the rail, she dampened it and scrubbed out the wounds. She hissed as the scabs peeled back, blood trickling from them again. Now she remembered why Tsunade had drilled it into her to take care of even small wounds quickly…it sucked to have to open them and let a free blood stream clear them.

She waited for the bleeding to stop before she returned to the bed, curling up under the blanket.

* * *

Sakura felt the ground shudder beneath her and the sensation woke her instantly. She jumped up, pushing the sheets off as she stumbled into the hall beneath the next wave.

"Another attack!" Virgil growled from behind her.

"By who?" Sakura demanded.

"Fleur de Mal." He replied as he pushed his way into the control room.

Sakura snorted in disdain, sarcastically thinking at least it was a nice change from the Rozenkruez Orden as he followed after him.

The screen in front of them flickered to life as the cameras around the Ghetto perimeter activated. The destruction wasn't bad, not to the buildings anyway…but people…

"Seal the Ghetto. I'll buy you as much time as I can!" Sakura cried as she scrambled out of the room.

Virgil hesitated before pulling the slide down, the doors around the Ghetto. His eyes wavered to the screen of the main entrance sealing, to the image of Sakura diving beneath the door as it closed.

* * *

Sakura scrambled onto the street, slamming her knee into the head of a Methuselah as he captured a woman. The blow shattered its skull, stunning it, but not killing it. She let the body fall at the feet of the shocked woman as she sprinted down the next alley.

Leaping up, she latched onto a pole hanging laterally over the next victim. Arching her back, she drove her feet into the Methuselah's back, sending it sprawling. She dropped down, yanking the man up and ordering him to run.

Vaulting herself over the concrete wall that closed the alley way, she found herself staring down her…she didn't know anymore.

His back was turned, his gun flashing as he attacked the next vampire down, oblivious to the one at his back.

Sakura heard her own cry ring as she leapt forward, a warning tearing from her lips. He turned his eyes wide and filled with emotion. Sakura sprang up on her heel…

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter Fourteen: Depth**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood! **_

Sakura collided with him as the Methuselah's nails extended. She felt them slide over her back as the momentum of her impact sent them tumbling. The impact sent her sprawling as Abel slid back, his gun falling from his hand. Seeing he was vulnerable, Sakura scrambled to her feet and leapt at the vampire, her knee leading the charge.

The Methuselah snarled as it side stepped her, raking its nails down her back again. Sakura hissed as she sprang back at it, catching its head with her foot. She wasn't sure if the blow was lethal, but it was enough to stun and the unconscious vampire tumbled back.

Before she could wholly recover from the veracity of the first, another had leapt at her from the top of the nearest café. Sakura sprang back, flipping up to bring the tip of her foot against its jaw. A moment later, she spun, catching the arm of another that came from behind. With a snap of her knee, she had disarmed him and pinned him long enough to knock him out. A fourth sprinted from the alley, leaping over Abel to reach her. But she was faster, kicking up to catch its blade in the crook of her knee and slamming her palm into its chest with enough force to dent the wall it consequently struck.

Sakura stumbled, faltering beneath the weight of her wounds and the resultant blood loss. She vision began to fade around the edges and she realized when she saw a blur of color race at her from above, she had no hope of evading or fighting back.

"You won't touch her."

Sakura heard the ring of gunfire and his statement as he flickered in front of her.

"Abel…" She stammered as she collapsed back.

His arm wrapped around her, pulling her close as he knelt down to better support her. Sakura reached up suddenly, her palm resting against his cheek. She smiled weakly, "I never betrayed you."

Guilt rose up in Abel so intensely it was a physical pain, "I know."

Sakura's smile strengthened somewhat as he leaned down. His glasses shifted down over the bridge of his nose and his bare eyes met her emerald green orbs.

"Can you ever forgive me?" He asked.

"I already have." She replied.

Tears ran down his face, splashing onto her face. And she had tears to match.

"Abel…I'm not…a monster…right?" She suddenly sobbed.

"No!" He replied before his voice softened, "You are as far from a monster as someone could be."

"Cain…he…he told me…I was…a Day Walker…a vampire…" She replied brokenly.

"Then you're the most beautiful vampire in the world." He responded.

Sakura found more comfort in that statement than she knew she should have. But…she didn't feel alone. She felt like she belonged, for the first time in what seemed like a long time, no matter how short it had been in actuality.

"I'm sorry…you're nothing like him…_nothing_." Sakura replied.

Abel hesitated; he wanted to agree with her, to brush his behavior under the rug of her easy forgiveness. But that would be wrong. He had let emotion take hold of him, and threw logic out the window far too easily. Admittedly, it was _easier_ to lose himself in Crusnik form, but that was far from a suitable explanation, let alone an outright excuse.

"No, I was. For a moment, maybe, but I was." He replied.

Sakura just smiled at him, her pardon written in her eyes. It was behind them, now, she realized, and they had something to look forward to.

"What…what made you…?"

"Remember?" He asked, smiling sadly, "My back was unguarded. You could have killed me, you chose not to."

"Speaking of which…" He added as he craned his neck to glimpse the lacerations on hers.

Sakura winced at the slight jar on her wounds, her hand twisting in his jacket automatically. He cooed in the most soothing sound he could make as he gently moved her in his arms.

The wounds weren't too bad, but they were in an awkward place and were undoubtedly painful.

"Can you manage?" He asked.

"I think so."

That response was worrisome, considering her usually fiery nature. He was just moving to help her when she caught his hand.

"Why are the Fleur de Mal attacking?" She asked, suddenly serious.

"Intelligence suggests it's a random act of violence…"

"But you know better." She smirked, fighting to keep the even keel of her voice.

Abel's eyes flashed knowingly as he said, "They're killing only humans…this would be the perfect opportunity for the radicals in the Methuselah Ghetto to side with them and overthrow Es…the Queen."

"How far into the city have they pushed?" She asked.

"Too far." He replied.

"You have to go, Abel, and protect her."

"But you…"

"Will cover you." Sakura replied as she forced herself up.

He nodded as he righted himself, glancing at her once before he took off in the opposite direction.

Sakura smiled at him, watching him fade into the dark background, her eyes darting about for any sign of trouble. She knew she wouldn't be able to cover him for long. Adrenaline and chakra would only get her so far, and exhaustion was creeping in fast. She also didn't know if she could risk chakra on her wounds, not with the very real prospect of potentially having to fend off an attack.

Gritting her teeth, she turned on her heel and followed after him.

* * *

Sakura leapt up, kicking off of a wall and rebounding off of the brick wall of a department store across the street. Using the momentum of her movement, she flipped herself over, bringing her foot down on the back of the Methuselah closing in on Abel. In the same motion, she crouched, bringing her hand to her throat and compressing the arteries just long enough to knock her out.

She had the presence of mind to disarm her, using the confiscated dagger a moment as another vampire crept from the shadow. She cried out a single warning, both to Abel and the Methuselah, before she drew her arm back and snapped the dagger at the male vampire.

He was fast, though, and managed to avoid what would have been a crippling, though far from fatal, wound. However, it gave Abel time to put some valuable distance between him and the next wave.

* * *

Abel fought his way past the scant Methuselah that had managed to infiltrate the palace. From there, it was a short sprint up the spiral stairs to her office. The door had been barred, and, at one point, partially broken in. But he saw no one else down either adjacent hall.

With a single powerful kick, he managed to break the door from the hinges.

"Esther!" He cried as he charged into the room.

"Father Nightroad!" She cried from the opposite corner of the room.

His eyes flickered to her…to the Methuselah holding her.

"Don't move, Nightroad." The vampire hissed.

"I would highly suggest following your own advice." A blade came down across the vampire's throat. No matter how quickly he moved, she would have the upper hand.

The Methuselah hissed, tightening his grip on the Queen. Sakura pressed her advantage, depressing the blade until a thin line of blood appeared.

"Release her." Sakura demanded.

"You're wounded…why didn't I smell you sooner?" The vampire hissed.

Sakura blanched visibly at this deduction, but he didn't see her falter, so she maintained her upper hand.

"I _said_ '_release_ her'!" Sakura responded, her free hand hovering above his spine. If he didn't comply…she would have to kill him. The Methuselah growled once, his grip loosening. He eventually released her, stepping to the side, Sakura shadowing him from behind.

Esther, stunned, hesitated for a moment before sprinting across the room.

Sakura sighed in relief, and in that fraction of a second the Methuselah had snapped a high kick, disarming her. The shock was acute, and she didn't react fast enough to avoid his follow through. In an instant, he had her pinned. The blow to her collarbone was more than enough to wind her, and before she could recover, he had Esther back in his possession.

Sakura cursed as she tried to catch her breath. She saw Abel's eyes flash the way they did when he was angry, and she knew it was already over.

"Esther…" He glanced at her, his gaze suddenly a little _too_ soft, "I'm sorry."

Sakura averted her eyes as he muttered the command, the air becoming charged with the sudden electrical output. A moment later, it stilled and her eyes flitted upwards. If he moved, she needed to be ready to come from behind with some support. Her green eyes locked with his crimson ones for an instant before she gave a barely perceptible nod. He didn't need to respond.

There was a flash of red, a high arc of blood, and the clatter of metal against the tile. The Methuselah was too stunned to feel the pain, apparently, of the loss of the amputated limb. But his alarm was clear.

Abel spoke, "Leave, now, and I won't harm you further."

That clearly broke something in the vampire. With a cry of rage, he tossed the Albion queen aside and charged the Crusnik. Abel sighed in acknowledgement of his choice, leveled his gaze, and snapped his scythe out.

Sakura closed her eyes a moment before the blade made impact. She didn't look back, either, as she helped Esther to her feet.

"Are you alright, Your Majesty?" Sakura asked

Esther pulled away, her cobalt blue eyes flashing as she raised an accusing finger to Abel and screamed, "Monster!"

The allegation was punctuated by the sudden slap of flesh on flesh. Abel's eyes widened, the fire behind them dying suddenly as they flickered back to cerulean.

"How. Dare. You." Sakura hissed as she lowered her hand back to her side before hoisting the young queen up by her collar, "He just saved your _life_!"

"Sakura." Abel intoned, his attempt at appeasement shot down very rapidly as Sakura snapped, "How dare you!" again. And just as quickly, she had dropped the queen back on the tile.

"I'm sorry, Esther," Abel stated as Sakura pushed her way out of the room, "We won't trouble you again."

The red-haired girl didn't respond.

* * *

"She'll probably have me arrested…" Sakura grumbled to herself as she stepped out of the building.

"Esther? No." Abel replied with a smile despite the circumstances.

Sakura gave a resigned sigh as she sat down on the edge of the curb. Abel took a seat beside her, ruffling her hair good-naturedly.

"Hey!" Sakura cried in mock protest, her smile betraying the illusion.

"We really should get back to work." Abel said after a moment.

"I know, I know…Methuselah to stop, world to save, I'm on it." Sakura replied as she stood up and stretched tentatively, trying not to tear the dried blood over the wounds in her back.

Abel just exhaled in a sound of pleasant agreement.

"You know, it was probably a bad idea to leave her alone." Sakura snorted.

"She'll be fine." Abel assured her, "By now, the back-up guards are raiding her office."

"Then I don't feel so bad for dropping her." Sakura replied evenly.

Abel didn't smile; he was too busy critically eyeing her back. When he didn't reply, Sakura turned to face him.

The day was written on his face, she realized with some alarm. He looked more than just tired…it was the kind of fatigue only emotion could wrought so effectively. His usual, careful appearance had also disturbed, giving him an even more shaken look.

Ironically enough, he was thinking the same of her. Her eyes were still red, her face flushed in a splotchy scarlet from crying. The torn cloth of her shirt, so blood-stained the original color was impossible to decipher, hung in tatters off of her frame, giving her a rather waif-like appearance.

"Um…Abel?"

He snapped out of his reverie, "Yes?"

"Uh…never mind." Sakura replied as she started off in the opposite direction.

Abel quietly followed after her.

* * *

Sakura should have realized they would, of course, but once the Queen was safe, the Fleur de Mal beat a hasty retreat out of Albion. Not that that was much comfort for the two tired operatives.

"Honestly," Sakura huffed, "If you're going to invade, stay around long enough to be destroyed."

"If only it were that simple." Abel replied whimsically.

"Just wait until I get my hands on them and then it _will_ be that simple."

"Optimistic, I see." Abel smiled with an incline of his head.

"More like pissed off." Sakura responded.

"Well, I suppose that's as good a substitute."

"I thought you were a priest."

"And technically you're a nun."

"Touché."

Sakura hoped he would say something else rather than give them a chance to fall into their own private thoughts. Sadly, he didn't and she found herself mentally smacking herself for appearing so weak in front him. A sobbing, injured female…oh, yeah…that just _screamed_ attractive---especially to someone that far her senior.

Abel, on the other hand, was just kicking himself over the whole ordeal. He really wanted it to make it up to her, but how was he supposed to fix such a big 'ouch'? Well, she had already forgiven him…but he hadn't forgiven himself by a long shot. In fact, he had a feeling that, given an additional nine hundred years, he would still be regretting his actions.

"Uh…Abel…Oh, ah…Master?" Sakura stammered.

"Uh," Abel blushed, "My name is a fine."

"Oh, uh, well then, Abel…"

"I just…back there…just…don't get any ideas." She finally snapped.

"Oh, well, I wasn't going to." He assured her.

"Well, then, we're…fine?"

"Oh, yes." He replied easily.

Sakura sighed in relief as they continued walking. The sun was just starting to come up behind them, and she realized just how late it was, or early…But either way, she reasoned.

"I'm tired." She stated as she stretched.

"It has been a long night." Abel sighed.

"Thank God it's over." She replied quietly.

"Yes, indeed."

They both turned to the blond as he walked up, tucking a handkerchief in his pocket before adjusting the cuff of his sleeve.

"I'm glad to see you two have reconciled." Virgil stated.

Sakura blushed as she nodded, Abel responding similarly.

Virgil just smiled, "Why don't you two rest today and you can begin home tomorrow."

"You know, I believe that's the best idea I've heard all day." Abel replied.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

_**Chapter Fifteen: Blood and Lace**_

_**Disclaimer: Trinity Blood and Naruto are soooooooo not mine!**_

"That won't be a problem." He assured Dietrich.

"Good." The Marionettenspieler replied, "Mein Herr doesn't appreciate setbacks."

The dark figure eyed him severely before turning away, his eyes flashing. He had done worse, this would be simple. After all, this was the life he had chosen. He had said he would give up everything, and he meant _everything_ for this one, singular goal. It was only just now coming to fruition.

* * *

Sakura kicked her legs freely over the edge of the rooftop, gazing into the starry night. A streak of thin white swept across the velvet expanse, coloring the sky above her in an almost metallic sheen. Not that the sky had anything on Abel's silvery hair or cerulean colored eyes. Realizing she was being hopelessly romantic, she blushed, suppressing the thought. It was made all the harder by the fact he was sitting _right next to her_.

"It was very generous of Caterina to put us up in Albion for a few days." He remarked.

Sakura choked back her cold retort that had to do with Esther and simply nodded, "It was."

Neither stated their dual wonder about how she talked the funds out of the church with Rome in ruins and an active campaign for the Orden underway. After all, Caterina could be very…loving in her own way.

They lapsed back into silence, staring into the sky again for no other reason than it was a thoughtless task. It required nothing emotionally, physically, or spiritually and that was definitely a very nice reprieve from the trauma of the past several days. Not that they had spoken much of it since the very awkward confession between them in the heat of battle. (But, then again, who was to say the heat of battle wasn't the time to make a passionate statement?)

"It's really pretty out tonight." Sakura muttered.

"True." Abel replied.

Sakura was just about to make another comment when a flicker of familiar chakra danced across her skin. Her breath froze in her throat, her eyes widening at the sensation. For a moment, she didn't dare to move…was it possible her mind was playing tricks with her? No…it was…it was _his_ chakra.

"Sasuke!" She cried out, snapping up before she could stop herself.

"Sakura," Abel's hand came down on her shoulder, momentarily bringing her back to her senses.

"I…I'm sorry…I…I have to go." She hastily stammered out before dropping herself down into the alley below them.

Sakura took off running the moment her feet hit the ground, her footsteps echoing far too loudly for a properly trained kunoichi. But the sheer relief was so tremendous she hardly recognized or questioned anything else as she sprinted along the streets. Vaulting herself up over the last hurtle, she found herself facing his back…

The shock of his actually being there stilled her for a moment. He was…alive. He, too, halted for a moment, sparing a glance over his shoulder. In the moonlight, she couldn't distinguish the color of his eyes and therefore his potential perception of her; that was disconcerting to say the least, but that fact barely registered in the current of other feelings that suddenly rose up.

"Sasuke!" She cried out finally, sighing as he turned to look at her, "I'm so happy you're…you're alive."

To her confusion, his hand fell against the Kusanagi blade. The audible draw of the katana only solidified her uncertainty; what was he doing?

"They hadn't told me you'd be here." He stated simply.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

She didn't see him move, only felt his hand materialize on her shoulder and the icy blade fall lightly across her neck.

"What do you think you're doing?" She demanded, fear coloring her voice more than anger.

He snorted in disdain as if the answer should have been obvious.

"Sasuke." She hissed in response.

"What have I always been after?" He finally growled.

"Revenge." She spat.

"Precisely." She could literally see his lips turning up with his silky statement.

"Sasuke, he's probably dead. This is your chance, your chance to start over."

"Why would I do that?" He asked scornfully.

"Because you're a human! Not some shadow of graceless vengeance!" She yelled.

"How would you know?" He asked.

"I've lost my family now, too." She replied waspishly.

"Not to your blood."

Sakura hissed in annoyance at the statement; there was the family you were born with and the family you chose and she had lost both, potentially to the one person who she might have trusted above all others: Tsunade. The person who had seen the woman in Sakura when she was still a girl and who had equipped her with the tools necessary to make her a shinobi worthy of her title.

"What are you doing, Sasuke?" She finally asked.

He knew exactly what she was talking about, "Getting my revenge."

"Against a dead man?"

"He's not dead."

"And who are you getting your information from?" Sakura asked, smirking because she already knew the answer.

"Mein Herr."

"Since when were you bound to any lord?" She snorted disdainfully.

"I don't expect you to understand."

"You never expected anyone to."

"Because you can't."

"Difficult to tell if you won't let me try, isn't it?"

He lapsed into silence, his chakra spiking tangibly.

"I need power." He finally replied.

"And you've already proven you'd sell your soul for it."

"How would you know?" He hissed.

"I'm not the girl you left behind before or now." She responded evenly.

"You really are annoying."

"Finally run out of good answers, I see."

"Don't push your luck with me."

"I know, the great Uchiha clan, renowned for strength and grace…or they were."

Sakura knew she had pushed it far beyond what was appropriate or even moral, but the words had just slipped out. Confusion and relief had long been replaced with anger. She couldn't best him in a fight, so she would best him where it hurt; the wounds Itachi had opened so many years before. He had never gotten close enough to her to know her fears and her private failures, so he had nothing with which to strike back.

The pressure on her throat increased slightly and she felt a tendril of warm blood seep down the small, scalpel-like laceration. It was hardly even a wound, but a clear silent warning. That didn't stop her, though; he had played with her and now she was playing back.

"I touched a nerve I see." She hissed.

"Shut up." He demanded evenly.

"Make me."

"Insolent little girl."

"You wish." She snorted, "Because that means you could control me. But you can't, and you know it, Sasuke."

If anything, the use of his name seemed to wound him privately and he exhaled in a slight hiss that she might expect if she was swabbing a wound with alcohol. It was a pained sound, held with bravery and determination, but pained nonetheless.

"What did he promise you?"

"Power." He replied.

Sakura rolled her eyes, not that he would see the gesture with his chest pressed against her back the way it was. "We've seen how well those vague promises work out."

She didn't need to say Orochimaru's name to have the effect she wanted. He already knew that much.

"I know more than you think."

"And less than you'd like to believe." She snapped back automatically.

"You want to know what he promised me?" He hissed darkly.

She didn't dignify him with a response. She was too far ahead of him now to let him force her into that kind of back-pedal. But nonetheless he continued, "A body powerful enough to defeat him."

"Nothing Orochimaru didn't promise you or that you couldn't accomplish on your own." She stated plainly.

"I've waited as long as I can."

"And what seems to press you for time?"

He didn't reply. That sent chills down her spine; he wouldn't not respond with _something_ unless he risked something greater. Something was up…and he knew what it was. But she wouldn't be able to get it out of him, she already knew that. However, now she'd know to be on the lookout.

"Release her."

Sakura's eyes widened as the click of a revolver being cocked fill the all-too-still night air. Sasuke's chakra dropped a fraction of a measure, a sure sign he had been caught off guard. Sakura rotated hard on her left heel, twisting her body to guard her throat as she snapped her elbow up at his cheek.

He ducked below both of them, sweeping their legs out from under them in the same motion. Sakura caught herself going down and was able to right herself immediately, but Abel fell much harder and much more awkwardly. In the split second that her attention was minimally directed to him, Sasuke had already materialized on the next roof over. He didn't say anything, merely eyed them severely before vanishing again into the night.

Sakura cursed under her breath; he was gone, that much was sure. And he was moving far too fast now for her to track him. That was disturbing as well, because it left the distinct possibility that he might have _wanted_ her to find him before. Why, she didn't know, but she couldn't rule it out as a potential scenario.

"Who was that?" Abel asked, righting himself beside her and cutting into her thoughts.

Sakura opened her mouth and then hesitated. How did she explain this one? He was her former paramour? No, because technically she and Abel weren't even really lovers and Sasuke had never been her lover in the physical sense, but he was a lot like her opposite half in every way…her teammate? No, that made it sound like she wanted to have something to do with him now and comrade was the same. He was a friend? No…he might have been, but now she had no choice but to consider him the enemy.

"Someone I used to know." She replied, thinking all the while, '_Someone I might have to kill and someone who I might still love. Someone who is now my responsibility_.'

* * *

Sasuke, for all his supposed and often proven strength and prowess, was far more delicate than any woman in Konoha, barring perhaps the frailest civilian child. But his weakness lay in the delicate veil of sanity that wavered dangerously over the powerful undertow of his psyche. He really was very much still a little boy; one who lacked the ability to interact openly and socially, who didn't know how to verbalize what he was feeling, and who very much blamed himself for what others did.

He felt, though he would never admit it, even to himself, that if he killed Itachi he was merely righting a wrong that he himself had committed. He felt that, as the frightened boy he was in his heart, if he did this, he would be forgiven for whatever he had done to make Itachi do what he did.

But children were easily misled and the very word 'power' invoked images of grandeur and the like. And it was much worse now that he had the mental capacity of a man and the body to match. So, in essence, he was a child capable of killing without feeling attached to the act of any kind.

That might have been the most frightening thing about him: At the very least, some felt a visceral pleasure in striking those final blows, and some felt guilt and others felt sadness for the fact that it had to be…but for him, there was nothing. Nothing but the void where his under-developed sense of emotion was covered by the veneer of a world-weary adult…

* * *

"You really should stop running off alone." Abel commented quietly.

Sakura felt a flash of rage before she could beat herself back down. He was right, of course, that was why she felt so defensive. But…it wasn't that he couldn't understand, but that she didn't _want_ him that close…not yet. Perhaps, had the night gone differently, she might have even chanced a kiss. But it hadn't and now all she felt was drained.

If…_if_ the world was has radically different as it seemed now, none of the people she'd loved and trusted might be worth those feelings anymore. But regardless of worth, she didn't know how to make herself stop feeling the feelings she had for them. If it did come down to a battle against them, she already knew she would fight to the death; that wasn't a question. But who would she be when she came out from that? That thought scared her and sadly there was no comfort. True, she could turn to Abel, tell him everything, and he would probably have a solution, or at least some silly line that would make her see things a bit more clearly. It would be easy to open up to him, it always was. But that didn't mean it was right. Tsunade had made her into a woman capable of standing on her own, to do less than that when it wasn't absolutely necessary was a great disrespect to her master…assuming, of course, her master wasn't the one she might be standing against---a very real possibility, it seemed. And what about Naruto, Kakashi, Yamato…any number of those who might be alive and who might not be who she thought they were. How many of them, she wondered, had known all of this and never said a word. Worse, how many _had_ said something and were simply never heard from again?

She shook her head tiredly as if she could really clear her thoughts with that gesture. But it didn't help. She sighed, her hand pulling absently but aggressively at the hem of her shirt in a futile attempt at distraction.

It seemed the world had come down to two things: the fragile veneer of lace that covered the slick of blood waiting just below the surface. The politics and the manners and the formalities were just a thin pall that lay over the violence that was necessary and soon to escalate.

* * *

Caterina drummed her nails lightly against the wooden armrest of her chair as she listened to the Methuselah representatives plead their own cases and theories as to what their next move should be against the Orden, or, in some cases, whether or not to move at all. Really, it was as much their battle as the Vatican's.

"The situation stands." Astha replied waspishly to one of her of colleagues.

The Duchess of Damascus sighed, opening her fan and lilting it to her face.

"This is a battle for the Vatican." A baron replied.

"Unfortunately, it isn't." Ion Fortuna, Earl of Memphis, stated angrily.

"Agreed." Baybars added curtly.

A giggle, of all things, rose from the background, garnering the attention of the room. The blonde from whom the flirty noise had risen stood up, batting her large eyes playfully.

"None of this matters," she giggled, "If our Mother does not approve. After all, as children, who are we to simply enter war? Let children dabble not in the arts of adults"

Astha didn't know whether she wanted to hug or slap Mirka Fortuna, Duchess of Moldova. But she was right. Without the Empress' explicit consent, no one was going anywhere. However, the debate was soon to be settled as an attractive girl not much more than eleven in appearance took center stage in a flounce of lace and ribbons.

"My children," She began fondly, "How can we do anything other than enter this struggle. For this world is as much ours as it is theirs." Her hand wafted delicately towards the three Vatican leaders.

Cardinal Francesco clearly did not like the idea of siding with a Methuselah. And as willing as he was to sacrifice others, he was not so eager to offer himself. Caterina, his equal in position, just smiled back at the gracious woman. And the Pope, unsure of how to react lest he upset either sibling, just fidgeted in his chair.

"And how, Your Majesty, do you propose we begin?" Caterina asked politely without losing her own steel.

The Empress turned to Mirka, waiving her along.

"I believe the covert operations must be undertaken from which information will be gathered." Mirka stated, before smiling, "And which have already been completed, Your Highness."

"Lovely work," The Empress replied, "As always."

"However, the news is less than pleasant." Mirka stated, suddenly grave, "There is a spy in our ranks."

Instinctively, individual sets of eyes roved over the mass as the fear and the tremendous danger pressed in around them.

"Who?" Augusta demanded.

"That we do not know." The Duchess Moldova replied.

* * *

"Abel, I'm starting to think maybe we should cut this short and get to the Empire." Sakura stated as they walked.

Abel pondered it for a moment before realizing he desperately wanted to get back to Caterina and the other operatives, as well. It felt wrong to be sitting uselessly in Albion while the others were out fighting an all-out war.

"Let's leave tonight." He suggested.

"Perfect." Sakura replied with more glee than she actually felt; she didn't need him hovering.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

_**Chapter Sixteen: Of Mice and Methuselah**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood!**_

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief the moment they stepped off of the airship and onto Methuselah soil. She couldn't wait to be back in the presence of her colleagues and friends. She had felt decisively wrong since her run in with Sasuke, or the Uchiha has she began to refer to him (it gave her some emotional distance) and she just wanted some normalcy again. Well, as much normalcy as she could gather when her job revolved around vampires and a terrorist organization whose motto was "The world shall be reborn with fire."

Abel, likewise, was relieved to be back where is commander was. With so much uncertainty, it was nice to have Caterina standing fast for them. There was a reason she was the Woman of Iron. And that thought was enough to bring a smile to his face.

* * *

Caterina nodded in agreement as Mirka spoke. It was a good plan, she thought, too bad it would never work. With that, the Cardinal beckoned a serving girl over and asked for a glass of water. It wasn't easy sitting in those heavy robes for a long period of time, especially with their dark crimson color.

The girl smiled knowingly as she disappeared back through the chamber doors.

* * *

"What do you mean?" Sakura demanded angrily, her fist balling at her side.

"You aren't listed among the operatives under Lady Caterina." The Methuselah replied more slowly, as if that would help her understand.

"I assure you," Abel stated as he stepped between the fuming woman and the annoyed vampire, "that there must be a mistake."

"And _I_ assure you that there is not." The attendant snapped. "Now leave before I'm forced to call security."

Sakura stepped away only a few feet and only then because Abel gave a direct order to. Leaning down next to her, he whispered a few sentences, to which she replied with a very gentle nod of her head.

Abel smiled, stepping back over to the attendant under the pretext of apologizing for his fiery charge. But he quickly engaged him in a conversation over the palace, the Empire, The Empress, really anything as Sakura quietly slipped past them.

* * *

Sakura quickly located a key panel and searched for Lady Caterina. It came up with an agenda for the day, the titles she held, and her room number: 569. Sakura, glancing around, keyed out of the search and got her bearings. The room beside the panel was conference room 423. That meant Caterina's room was on the next floor up.

She quickly made her way to it, dodging Methuselah left and right and trying to remember the pages of conduct codes she had memorized. Apparently she did well because none of them turned on her and few even seemed impressed. The last one was a bit close for comfort, though. She had just located the Cardinal's room when an older noble stepped by. Her position as a Terran female dictated she bow to him first, rise, and allow him to either ignore or acknowledge her. She was hoping for the former when he did the latter. She prattled back as if she was a silly girl, bid him good-bye, and waited for him to disappear down the hall before she extracted several bobby pin she kept in her hair at all times.

Straightening them, she picked the lock, being careful not to set off the alarm. A moment later, it clicked satisfactorily and she stepped inside, shutting the door behind her.

Caterina's room was a mess, quite unusual for the Cardinal. Stepping lightly across the papers strewn on the floor, Sakura went to the desk and quickly inspected the papers there. She found only two that meant anything to her and it was a list of Caterina's own operatives. But her name and Abel's were crossed off in red ink. Beside it was a schedule of the day's events, one of them was checked in red: the ten-thirty appointment with the Methuselah Council.

Sakura glanced at the clock. It was ten-fifteen.

She quickly replaced the papers, stepped out of the room, and informed Abel she was out.

* * *

"Oh, my, look at the time!" Abel stated suddenly. "I really must be going."

He hadn't even stepped outside before Sakura began relaying him the small amount of information she had found. And it definitely sounded suspicious. Red was a color typically reserved for use in color coding KIA operatives and traitors or for marking events that had a strong possibility of Methuselah-Terran violence.

"We have to get into those chambers."

"I'm working on it. But what do you suggest we do? We're not on the roster." Sakura replied.

"Just get in. Don't worry, I have a plan."

* * *

Caterina smiled as the clock ticked past ten twenty-eight. Her water glass was pressed into her hand by the attendant, who smiled knowingly before slipping back behind the Cardinal. She mumbled something over the rim of the glass, her lips pulling up even further as the final seconds past.

And then there was only silence, the void, followed by an explosion that spiraled outward. Flames roared through the rows of Terran representatives, the blast shaking the entire palace.

* * *

"You have to let us in!" Sakura cried to the guards, who leveled their weapons at her.

But a moment later a tremor shook the building as the door behind them was ripped from its hinged and flung at them. Sakura, seeing it coming, easily ducked under it and sprinted into the destroyed Council hall, Abel not far behind her.

"Caterina!" Abel cried, spying her broken body not far from them.

It was pandemonium: some of the Methuselah had begun attacking the remaining Terran members, and they were screaming it was a vampire-trick. There was so much blood on the ground beneath them that those who tried to run slipped in it. Debris dropped unpredictably from the ceiling, and small fires still burned throughout the room.

Instinctively, Sakura's eyes found the Pope. Thankfully, though he was scared to death, he seemed unharmed in the physical sense. She didn't see Francesco, though.

She sprinted to Abel's side, her hand coming down on Cardinal Sforza's chest. There was no heartbeat, no brain function, no pulse of any kind beneath her hands.

Astha screamed above the din, calling for silence and for the logic of her comrades. Some responded by lowering their weapons and rallying to her, others didn't. It wasn't until the sudden entry of Cardinal Francesco that the violence came to an end. However, Sakura didn't like the way they had automatically divided, humans on the right, vampires on the left…like they were lined up for battle. And she didn't like that the Inquisition was there, either.

"Vampire treachery!" He cried, his men gathering around him to guard him. "This means war!"

"We will strike you where you stand!" A baron replied as he hefted his weapon. Astha swung a hard left with her own, forcing his downward.

The Empress appeared among her own people, proclaiming she would give them twelve hours to evacuate her city if their declaration stood.

"Traitorous monster!" The Cardinal yelled back.

Astha bared her fangs, growling as the men and women behind her moved to attack. _No one_ insulted their Mother. But the Empress stayed them, ordering them back.

Sakura's heart fluttered weakly in her chest; this was what Rozenkreuz wanted! How could they so easily fall into that trap!

Sakura, thinking perhaps she could do something to revive the Cardinal, leaned down against her and pressed her hands against her abdomen. Stage One: Isolation of the injury---massive shock trauma and electrical burns on the skin. Stage Two: Body Composition---each person's body was different. To heal them, Sakura had to interface with their body and work with it. That meant she needed to run down its chemical compositions, organic ratios, and the like. And in doing so she found something very alarming.

A build up of potassium…

'This…this isn't right…levels like that don't appear until…_twelve hours after death._'

She sprang up, screaming, "This is not Cardinal Sforza!"

Francesco turned on her with a predatory eye, "Caterina had you two blacklisted as traitors and deserters this very morning."

"What?!" Abel demanded.

"Arrest them!" Francesco cried.

Sakura glanced up helplessly; what was happening? Abel's eyes told her everything…he didn't know. And a moment later they were roughly secured and dragged from the chamber.

The Empress moved to stop them, but what could she do? Her brother was under the Vatican's authority. And if she revealed their relationship now, he would be executed on the spot by the vampire-haters of the Inquisition.

* * *

Sakura cried out as Abel was thrown in a cell aboard one of the ships; though, naturally, it wasn't _Iron Maiden_. This was an Inquisition airship. And it was clearly equipped for taking care of those they deemed to be a threat or unclean.

The cells were filthy, torture devices were strewn everywhere, and that hateful glare of their soon-to-be tortures was searing even through their hoods.

She fought back, struggling hard as they shoved Abel into chains. But it was no use and a moment later she found herself in the next cell, chains with some kind of metal she hadn't encountered before. However, it made it impossible to build up chakra in her body…

"Abel!" She cried as she pushed herself against the bars that formed on wall of both cells. He responded similarly, taking her hand in his as she laced it through the grate. His arm came around and held her as best he could with the wall separating them.

* * *

It was six hours after the initial blast the corpse labeled Caterina Sforza was stolen from the morgue aboard one of the Inquisition ships.

No autopsy had yet been preformed.

* * *

"You won't get away with this."

It was a statement of fact. It wasn't even angry or impassioned, it simply _was_.

"We already have." Kaspar replied sinisterly as he leaned in to smirk at the Cardinal. "Your brother was kind enough to declare war today."

Caterina felt fear for the first time, but neither her eyes nor her body betrayed her. She remained outwardly strong. Her back was straight, her shoulders level, her head up…

This seemed to amuse Kaspar and he continued, "It was easy to take your face, though you body was a bit more difficult." He accented this by briefly taking the façade of her own face, "And then all I had to do was tell that little girl and that bumbling priest to stay in Albion for a few days, to relax. They took it at face value. With no contact, they couldn't have known I was ordering them listed as traitors. I hadn't counted on them showing up, true, but I believe the Inquisition will take care of them for me."

He leaned down, running his fingertips across her jaw as he smirked, "And it was all thanks to your face."

Caterina just stared straight ahead.

* * *

"Abel." Sakura whispered over the din of the executioners sharpening weapons, "We have to get out of here."

He just nodded.

"Can you?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, but…it won't be pretty."

He would need to use his Crusnik mode. Sakura tried to back-pedal in her mind. How many days had it been since he had fed off a vampire? Four or five, at least…

"What activation?" She asked.

He hesitated for a moment as he thought it over. If he had been alone, forty percent would have been about right. However, if he wanted to guarantee her safety as well, he would need to ramp it up to eighty percent.

"Eighty." He replied.

Sakura turned her back to the open face of the cell as she threaded her wrist through the bars.

"Hurry." She hissed as she did.

"What?" He asked in horror.

"Look, you, above all, need to get out. You can stop this war." She replied. "Besides, I'm a vampire, remember? I'm your natural prey."

He nodded as he pushed himself as far into the shadows of the cell as he could before shifting to his forty-percent activation. A moment later, Sakura felt the pinprick of his fangs against the inside of her wrist.

"Listen, the body that was disguised as Lady Caterina's was more than twelve hours old and it didn't show signs of Dietrich's control in the nervous system, only the skin. Someone living was on that throne and somehow swapped out in the chaos of the blast. Whoever is was had to use Haste." Sakura said as he fed.

"There's a good chance," Sakura concluded as he pulled away, "That she's alive."

Abel nodded, his scythe glittering just behind him in the darkness. His eyes shone red for a moment, and suddenly the bars between them had been severed. A fraction of a second later, the side of the airship had been laid open.

"Go." He stated, covering her as she latched onto the edge of the metal frame, now exposed, and flipped herself onto the side of the ship. Using the rough canvas that covered most of the ship for hand holds she found herself on the level top of it within a few minutes.

And she found herself facing Brother Petro Orcini, the Knight of Destruction. That meant that Lady Death couldn't be far behind…

"Return to our custody, Sister, and we will be lenient." He stated, leveling his Screamer at her.

"No." She replied.

"Then I have no choice." He responded as he lunged at her.

Sakura spun to the left, side-stepping him easily as the Screamer burrowed into the canvas of the ship. In the same motion, she jumped up in a side scissor kick that sent him flying back.

"I don't want to hurt you." She stated as he attempted to right himself, "But I will if you continue to press me."

He didn't reply as he swung the Screamer at her again. Sakura easily leapt over it, spinning to land another kick to his chest. She rotated again, landing a second, third, and fourth blow to him in quick succession.

She was just about to give him the same offer when she felt a blade press against her kidneys.

"Lady Death." She stated as her eyes flickered back to the woman.

"Stand down." Paula replied.

Sakura sighed privately as she gave the physical appearance of surrender, but it only took a split second to build her chakra. She pivoted on her heel, landing a devastating back-hand to the woman's cheek. But Petro was on her just as quickly.

Paula, rising back up, thought disdainfully that that was the first time someone had bested her in the initial blow. But, this meant she could have some fun.

As Sakura leapt back from the Screamer, she found herself fending off Paula's blade. Using the guard of her boot, she snapped a high kick against the crescent blade, jumping up as Petro drove his lance at her foot. Coming down, she pinned the weapon as she locked Paula's free wrist. The female tossed her, hooking her leg under her ankle and toppling Sakura.

The kunoichi didn't fight the momentum of the attack and used it to flip back onto her feet. She ducked under the Screamer, kicking up to disarm Paula's right hand. Redirecting the impetus of the defensive maneuver, she landed another kick to Petro. But as she did, Paula's left blade came across her back. Sakura reeled on her, bringing her arm against the woman's and snapping her elbow with a swift blow of her palm. She also brought the leg up, breaking Paula's forearm on her right side.

"DIE!"

Sakura turned on Petro as he swung his lance down at her. Sakura's arms came across her instinctively, catching the lance just above the rotating tip in a cross-guard. However, it was so long that to maintain the guard, she had duck her head left and drop her shoulder, significantly weakening the movement.

Paula, seeing her chance, flung her free blade at the girl. Sakura saw it coming in her peripherals and managed a clumsy evasion by rolling to the left in an awkward somersault. She extended her leg, catching the weapon between the dual blades and kicking it up into her hands.

She glanced briefly at Petro, detected a small weakness in his armor, and tossed the blade at his face. Instinctively, he hefted the Screamer up to guard himself and Sakura dove in beneath him. Her knee collided with his, driven by just enough chakra to break it cleanly. She also brought her palm up, a chakra scalpel sinking through the armor and nicking his liver and spleen. She didn't want to kill him, only incapacitate him. As he went down, Sakura kicked the Screamer from his hands. Spinning, she caught it as she rose back on her feet and stepped away.

"Sorry, but I warned you." Sakura said as she tossed the weapon over the side of the airship. "Those injuries will heal well. You shouldn't have a problem fighting again."

Abel appeared behind her a moment later. His clothing was tattered, but he appeared unharmed.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his voice deeper than she was used to it being. Then again, when you have black angel wings and a scythe of crystallized blood, she doubted many would notice the voice.

"I'm fine." She replied. "They will be, too." She added, glancing at the fallen members of the Inquisition.

"Good." He stated as he lifted her with his free arm.

It was a silent demand that they needed to get going. He had taken out their communications system, but it wouldn't be long before other members of the Inquisition were on top of them. Worse, it wouldn't be long before they had whole ships out looking for him. He had officially been labeled a 'monster on the last radio call. Not that the call had gotten out of the ship…

True, he could destroy entire cities with the snap of his fingers, but it would be annoying and a serious hindrance to have to deal with the Inquisition's ships.

He had just settled her against his chest when she turned back to the two warriors and said, "I really am sorry."

And with that, Abel rose into the cover of the clouds hanging several hundred feet above the airship.

* * *

"Maybe I should have just knocked them out…"

Abel glanced down at her. She had been debating the fight for over an hour, mostly to herself. But her guilt was apparent.

"No, its best you injured them." He replied.

"Abel!" She cried back in surprise.

"They would have hunted us until you or I had." He responded.

Sakura didn't reply, but her eyes told him she privately had to agree with his statement.

They lapsed into silence for a moment before Abel commented, "You feel feverish."

She did. Her skin was much hotter against his than it should have been for the altitude he was traveling at. And she was shaking…

"Oh, I'm just keeping myself warm." She replied.

He looked down at her skeptically.

She sighed with a smile before explaining, "To keep my core body temperature the same, I'm heating the blood in my limbs, so when it gets re-circulated, it's the appropriate temperature."

"I see." He replied throatily.

Sakura just shrugged, though her eyes didn't leave him. For a moment, he wondered if she really did view him as a monster…especially in his current form.

"Are you…alright?" He finally asked.

"Just a little freaked over the height thing." She replied, her hand twisting preemptively in the remnants of his jacket.

"I apologize." He replied. "We should be able to land soon."

"Whatever it takes." She said, "To avoid the Inquisition, I'm willing to do."

He just smiled.

* * *

It seemed like an eternity before they were back on solid ground and Abel was back to his 'usual' self.

"How on earth are we going to find her?" Sakura asked as Abel tied back his silvery hair.

"Caterina would never leave the Vatican without this." He said as he held up a small tablet, grey in color and shaped like an aspirin pill.

"What is it?"

"A tracking device."

"What if they've already stripped it from her?"

"Trust me, they'd never find it. It won't even set of metal detectors."

"The Professor's work?"

He nodded happily and Sakura felt her lips pull up in a smirk.

"Great! Now, how do we use it?"

"We need Tres."

Sakura paled visibly. He was an android, now set with orders to exterminate them. How could they reason against that?

"Don't worry," Abel smiled, "He'll listen."

* * *

They had long since changed out their clothing and appearances before they found themselves in the bay where Vatican ships were still preparing to launch. Abel's hair was now blonde, Sakura's black, their eyes masked with black and blue contacts. They had also purchased new sets of clothes—cash, of course…they could hardly afford a paper trail.

However, the moment they stepped into the bay, Sakura couldn't help but feel the measures they had taken were absurdly minute…she couldn't beat down the sense that any moment they might be exposed.

They quickly made their way to the ship that held the Vatican AX…meaning Tres was sure to be charging in the hold of the ship. They had almost boarded it when someone cried, "Hey! I know you!"

Sakura hissed as she reeled to face him, Abel reacting similiarly.

"You two must be the tech ops."

"Why, yes, of course." Abel replied hastily.

Sakura just smiled and nodded as authentically as she could.

"Well, get on there and get to work then!" The manager replied, a command they were all too happy to comply with.

Once aboard, Abel ordered Sakura to hang out in the bay. They would have to wait for the ship to launch before they could risk making a move.

* * *

Hours later, Sakura was startled awake by the sound of even footsteps on the metal floor as two figures entered the bay. One, she knew, was Abel…the other she assumed to be Tres. The door closed behind them, shrouding the hold in darkness.

"Now, for your maintenance work." Abel feigned.

Sakura heard the click of the hammer of Tres gun being pulled back as he replied, "Former Vatican Deputy Enforcer Abel Nightroad. You have been ordered exterminated."

Sakura dropped from the rafters, her leg coming down on his extended arms and pinning them. She spun a moment later, catching her free leg around his neck to hold him there.

"Tres, Caterina is far from dead!" Abel hissed.

"What evidence do you have to suggest as such?"

"The body I inspected showed elevated potassium levels consistent with a corpse twelve hours after time of death."

"Do you have physical evidence?"

"Yes." Sakura presented him the glove she had been wearing when she had inspected Caterina. She just hoped it still had some blood on it.

Tres took it, scanning it while replying, "Back tracing to approximate potassium levels at time of death. Confirming DNA disparity with Cardinal Caterina Sforza. Confirmed on all accounts."

"So…you believe us?" Sakura asked.

"Affirmative." He responded.

"Great!" She chirped back as she released him.

He stood there for a moment more, automatically attempting to locate the trace on Cardinal Caterina.

"Triangulating approximate location."

"Can't he get a straight lock?" Sakura asked.

Abel shook his head, "The Sun Shield around the Empire interferes with our technology. Just the trace is hard to lock onto."

Sakura nodded as Tres suddenly rattled off a list of potential locations and their probability of accuracy.

Sakura didn't have time to respond before he had already opened the bay doors and was free falling for the nearest rooftop. Sakura just sighed in exasperation as she leapt after him, Abel not far behind. By the time either had hit anything solid, he was already down the next two streets.

"Not one for team work is he?" She asked as she vaulted herself in his direction.

"You could say that." Abel replied from beside her.

"I've never seen him act this…irrationally." She stated.

"Well…Caterina is…special to him." Abel responded.

Sakura smiled as she looked at Abel…she knew the feeling.

* * *

By the time they had reached the first site, Tres had already cleared it. And the second and the third…that left only the fourth. And Sakura was getting rather sick of apologizing to the individuals whose homes and businesses had been invaded without explanation from Tres.

They had only just caught up with him as he was finishing his initial scan of the building in front of him.

"Abel Nightroad, rear guard. Sakura Haruno, side guard." He stated simply as he raised his guns and kicked in the door.

Sakura didn't argue as she somersaulted in after him, using the maneuver to pull her gun. Her eyes darted around, but even Tres---with superior sensory perception---found nothing to set them on edge. It wasn't until he stepped forward a few paces that he suddenly began to fire furiously at the ground.

Sakura, after her momentary and automatic shock, realized why: the floor was hollow. A moment later, he fell through the destroyed ring of wood with an audible impact against what sounded like concrete. She followed in closely behind.

Sure enough, there was Caterina, bound and gagged, but seemingly unharmed. Sakura rushed over behind the android, giving the Cardinal the full once-over. She was a bit shaken and her arms were bruised, likely from being handled a little too roughly. But her important bodily systems were operating well.

Sakura gave her the run down as Tres untied her, concluding with Cardinal Francesco's declaration of war.

"What!?" The blonde cried out uncharacteristically.

"There's still time, if we can get you to the Jade Palace." Sakura replied as she tore away at the ropes around her ankles.

"You three aren't going anywhere."

"Tres get her out of here." Sakura replied automatically.

"Affirmative." He replied as he pulled her up with a gentleness Sakura had seen him display before. And she understood…some part of his human brain…_loved_ her.

But there was hardly time to ponder what she had just seen as she turned on the Methuselah.

He was a fairly imposing figure, made all the more sinister by the smile on his face.

"Who are you?" Sakura demanded.

"Kaspar von Neumann, little sister to the Neumann brothers."

Sakura privately sighed. Great…she was dealing with a gender-confused monster…

"I'm afraid I can't let you have Cardinal Caterina." He stated.

"Well, I can't either. So it looks like this is where we stand." Sakura replied, motioning around the room with her hand.

"We'll just have to fix that."

Sakura's smirk was feral, "Bring it on."

He seemed all too happy to comply and leapt at her so quickly she had no hope of evading his first blow, an open slap to her face. But what did she really expect from a man who thought he was a woman? She responded by back-handing him with her fist hard enough to send him flying.

"Now _that_," She stated as she wiped away a tendril of blood from her lips, "Is a real back-hand."

Kaspar righted himself, glancing at her in a way that was far too familiar for her liking. "What is it?" She snapped coolly.

Before her eyes, his face morphed, his body shortening and becoming leaner, blond hair rose on his head…

"Naruto…"

The initial shock was too much and he had ample time to step up to her, wrapping his arms around her in what seemed like a hug the real one would normally give her.

"I've missed you." He told her, his voice cruelly identical to the Uzumaki's.

She felt his head come to rest against her shoulder, his lips turned towards her neck. She felt the penetration of his fangs, but it didn't seem to register with her body. For well over a full minute, she just stood there. And then…

* * *

"Lady Caterina!" Abel cried as Tres carried her out, "Are you harmed?"

"I'm fine, Abel, thanks to you three." She replied with a smile.

"And Sakura?"

"She is covering us." Tres responded.

Abel opened his mouth to comment on something when the wall behind him caved, chunks of brick flying as Kaspar's body was tossed so hard against the next wall over it gave beneath him in a nearly perfect imprint of his outline.

Sakura appeared a moment later, taking slow, deliberate steps towards him. She was panting hard, the knuckles on her right hand were bleeding, as were two punctures on her throat. She walked right past them without any sign of recognition as she descended on him again.

She latched onto the collar of his shirt, hauling him roughly and slamming him back against the wall.

"What. Do. You. Know." She demanded icily.

He just smiled, his eyes flashing blue. Sakura back-handed him so hard she knew she cracked a vertebra.

"Your precious Sasuke," Sakura resisted the urge to strike him again, "was kind enough to swap out our bodies."

"Why?!" She yelled.

"Mein Herr will grant him a new body if he does."

Sakura felt a chill go up her spine…They were going to dance around this again? Wasn't one insane, body-snatching lord enough in a lift time? Apparently not, she realized.

"And Naruto?" She demanded.

"Trust me, he was dead before we ever got there." He replied.

Sakura's fist slammed against his stomach, "You're lying."

He coughed blood, before he replied, "We will see."

Sakura flung him easily against the next wall, letting him fall before she approached him again. She was just about to land another blow to his chest when someone caught her hand, stilling her.

"Sakura…" Abel began, "We have a war to stop."

"You guys go ahead. I'll stay here." She snapped back, her eyes settling lethally on the man in front of her.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

She, for some reason, didn't fight him as he lifted her to her feet and gently coaxed her away from the broken man. They didn't look back.

* * *

"Vampire scum!"

"Terran filth!' Astha replied as the lines were formed, weapons drawn on both sides.

The Vatican hadn't evacuated and now the vampires were attacking in defense. The lines snarled at each other, stopped only by a narrow swath of street. Neither wanted to cross it first, it seemed.

Astha raised her hand, but just as she was about to cue the assault, she heard two familiar voices from above them. Sakura and Abel dropped into sight a moment later, press back to back, their arms spread as though that could hold back the tide of violence about to descend on them.

"Stop!" They cried again.

"We cannot!" Astha replied, hoping they would move aside.

"This doesn't have to happen." Abel replied.

"How can it not," An Inquisition member asked, "When they murdered the Duchess Milan?"

"Because I am very much alive." Caterina replied as she appeared from the side ally.

Silence erupted from the feuding sides.

"This was a plot of the Orden of Rozenkreuz to instigate a war." She added, her gaze falling on her brother. She left the rest unsaid, 'And _you fell for it, Brother_.'

* * *

In the rush of exams, both Terran and Methuselah, which proceeded Sakura, Abel, and Tres were detained under the Inquisition's authority, but with strict orders not to harm or question them.

But, when the cell door opened, it was the Pope there to inform them of their release. After six hours of tests, both sides were forced to conclude that the woman they examined was in fact Caterina Sforza, Duchess of Milan and Cardinal of the Vatican.

"Thank you…" The Pope added as he hugged them individually, "for bringing my sister back to me."

Sakura hugged him back when he got to her, her face hidden by a curtain of pink hair.

* * *

Some time later, as the sun was just coming up, Sakura found herself sitting aboard the cafeteria that catered to those that worked aboard _Iron Maiden_. There was a single cup of rapidly cooling tea in front of her, a small portion of food on the left side of it that seemed untouched.

She didn't even notice Abel slide into the seat next to her until he cleared his throat.

"Oh…hello." She replied with as much enthusiasm as she could work up.

He smiled back, but only half-heartedly. "Are you alright?"

"I…I don't know." She replied.

That was worrisome coming from such a fiery young woman. But, really, had he expected less? Or more?

No, he decided.

He reached across the table, gently cradling her right hand in his and bringing it to his lips. The knuckles were still swollen, but he was gentle.

Sakura looked up at him in surprise…it was very…_unlike_ him to make such an open move.

"It's unlike you," He commented gently a moment later," to not take care of yourself." As if to emphasize his point, he trailed his fingers across the two punctures in her neck.

"It was a matter of…of conservation." She replied uncertainly.

"And now?" He asked.

Sakura swallowed, no words coming from her parted lips.

"Abel…I feel numb." She said finally, hanging her head to avoid eye contact. "It's just…"

"You feel something when you're wounded."

"God, I'm sick…" She said, resting her head in her hand with a defeated laugh.

"No." He told her, stepping behind her chair and wrapping his arms around her. "You're not sick. You're tired, confused, and hurt. But not sick."

"How can you be so sure?" She asked.

"I just am." He replied simply.

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

_**Chapter Seventeen: Chasing Shadows**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood. **_

_**A/N: I made up the term Dead Zone for Russia, which, in the novels, is in fact polluted with radiation. Most of the information regarding it, however, I've come up with on my own.**_

Sakura woke up in her bed well after midnight. Silently cursing her luck to wake up at such an hour and not be able to fall back asleep after the last few days, she simply righted herself, got dressed, and went down to the _Iron Maiden's_ cafeteria again. Helping herself to a cup of tea, she sat down at one of the deserted table, toying absently with the spoon as she gazed out through the window.

Sighing, she thought back on Kaspar's words. Specifically with regard to Naruto…

He was _Naruto_, for crying out loud! If the entirety of the world couldn't take him, a cluster of vampires didn't stand a chance. It was that simple.

Now…if only Uchiha had been just as easy to reason. He had been so…normal when she had last seen him in Konoha. Of course, she couldn't really say that their latest exchange had been abnormal. He had been disturbingly in character…

Out loud, she wondered to herself what she was doing.

Her Inner Self was kind enough to answer: '_Chasing shadows_.'

Sakura sighed, pushing her tea back as she stood up.

It was in that moment that she realized it had all _changed_. But the odd recognition carried no feelings, good or bad with it. No judgment of any kind…it just _was_.

And, increasingly, that seemed to be the case with too many things.

* * *

The next morning, Caterina, freshly back from the dead, called them into her office to discuss their newest mission.

"I want you two to investiage some odd reports coming out of from the cities and villages surrounding the Dead Zone."

"Dead Zone?" Sakura asked.

"Formerly Russia, it was declared uninhabitable following a massive nuclear incident that poisoned the land." Abel replied.

"The Professor has already prepared the appropriate injections for you." Caterina assured her. "You two will stay, gather information, and get back to us. However, due to the remoteness of the area and overall danger level, if you two get into trouble, you're on your own."

* * *

The Professor quickly swabbed his arm with an alcohol pad and in the next moment the needle was in and out. There was a brief sting that traveled up his arm, but vanished quickly.

"Thank you." Abel said as he pulled his sleeve down over the puncture.

He smiled at the Crusnik before prepping a fresh syringe, only to have Sakura hold out her hand and reply she would prefer to do it. He couldn't blame her, he supposed as he handed it over.

"Thank you." She smiled as she flipped it around and drove it into her leg. She depressed the plunger and quickly pulled it out, dispensing it in the reciprocal.

"How long will these work?" She asked as she adjusted the holster on her thigh.

"Approximately one week. You each have three back-ups."

"Sounds good." She said.

"I should be getting back to the containment field. Good luck." He said, referring to the small shield in the cockpit that would guard the meager personnel aboard the ship as they dropped Abel and Sakura.

"Thanks again." Sakura replied as she gave him a quick hug.

A moment later, the bay doors shut and for a few minutes nothing happened. And then a small red light in the corner flickered green and the doors slowly opened.

Instantly, it was obvious why it was called the Dead Zone. The very soil was black and sickly. Not to mention the obvious lack of _life_ in general…

This wasn't going to be fun they realized as they dropped down from the slowly moving airship.

And, sure enough, the first sensation was far from pleasant. The ground was…well, some odd and gross mix between sandy and swampy that resulted in what Sakura could only describe as a sensation similar to wading through mucus. The only consolation either got was the fact that there was nothing living in the goo that now reached Sakura's waist and Abel's thighs.

The airship turned, roaring away back towards ground that wasn't giving off dangerous light pollution, and Abel and Sakura started towards what they hoped was drier land.

"This is…pleasant." Sakura commented sarcastically.

"Yes, well…" Abel trailed off with a smile.

"Abel…how long ago was the incident that polluted Russia?"

"Shortly after Armageddon." He replied.

"Radiation doesn't saturate for that long." She responded, suddenly suspicious.

"Well, you see, the plants were all beneath Russia and, because we can't find a way to shut them down, are still giving off radiation."

"Great…"

"Yes, it isn't the most pleasant outlook, is it?"

Sakura reply caught in her throat as she felt something _squirm_ against her leg. She choked back the all-too-female urge to cry out in surprise, but she couldn't completely suppress the whimper that cleared her throat.

"Sakura?"

"It's nothing." She replied hastily.

It was an irradiated swamp; there simply couldn't be anything aside from microorganisms and cockroaches living in the water. She had probably hit a thread of decaying plant matter or maybe even a particularly thick band of the muck around their legs.

A moment later, Abel stepped onto dry land, apparent by the sudden change in his height.

"Great!" Sakura chirped as he helped her out of the slime.

"So, Abel, what were the reports being made out of bordering lands?" Sakura asked a moment later.

"Something about people or creatures that were most often given the title 'mutant'."

"Sounds like people are letting their imaginations run wild." She retorted.

"That was my impression, as well. However, the situation is desperate enough to call for an investigation."

"Desperate?"

"People are forming vigilante mobs to hike into the Dead Zone, without protection, to hunt for these supposed 'mutants'."

"Idiots." Sakura hissed.

Abel shrugged, though he privately agreed completely.

"What is the tolerance of Methuselah for radiation?" She asked.

"Far higher than a human's, but even a Methuselah would only be able to sustain in this environment for a few weeks without proper protection." He replied.

Sakura filed the information in the back of her mind for later reference. She had no guarantee she was in fact a vampire, however if need arose to save the injections, she might be willing to chance it. She wouldn't have let anyone know, not even Abel, but she had been able, as of late, to heal on the _cellular_ level. That was unheard of in Konoha, not even Tsunade had been able to accomplish that. But she didn't know _why_. It might have been she had surpassed Tsunade, a thought she hated because her mentor wasn't around to see it…that had been their shared goal for years.

"What about you?" She asked.

"As a Crusnik, I really don't know. It's not as though experiments have been readily preformed." He replied more freely than she expected.

"Well, on a business note, do you think we'll find anything?"

"I'm not sure."

Sakura sighed, looking up into the sky that looked as disgusting as the soil. There were clouds rolling in, but they were the sickly color of a bruise that was yellowing. Worse, the rain they unleashed a few minutes later was pitch black and had the consistency of tar. And when it soaked through her clothing or such, it left an oily residue on the fabric.

"This can't be healthy…" She hissed to herself.

"Well, at the very least, we won't die of radiation illness." Abel smiled.

Sakura wanted to be mad at him for the statement, but couldn't bring herself to do anything but throw her head back and laugh.

"Oh, Abel, I love you."

They both stopped as the realization of her words sunk in. Sakura opened her mouth to apologize, to say the words had just slipped and they had…but that didn't mean she didn't mean them.

He turned suddenly, cornering her. For a fraction of an instant, she thought she had really upset him. And then his lips crashed against hers.

"I've wanted to hear that for a very long time." He sighed into her ear as he pulled away and she shuddered beneath his frame.

Sakura expected that moment to be more…well, romantic, honestly. She hardly thought a confession from either side would be had in the radiation-polluted rainfall in the Dead Zone. She had expected it might come at a more…stereotypical time? She had fully anticipated any realization to come over dinner and perhaps her first night with a man. But this, she had to admit, was _much_ less intimidating.

They stared back into each other's eyes for a moment and then, befitting their position, their attention was turned back to the mission.

* * *

"We'd best get some sleep." Abel commented through a yawn several hours after the sun had set.

Sakura nodded as she shrugged a pack off of her shoulders, rolling them to loosen the coiled muscle.

"We'll start off early tomorrow." He assured her as he unrolled his own sleeping pallet.

"Sounds great." She replied sarcastically.

"Doesn't it?" He joked back.

Sakura just smiled as she pulled her sleeping bag out, unfurled it, and crawled between the layers of cloth. She rolled over, her back to Abel---that was more for her own security that anything else. She hated having her back to an open area of any kind---and closed her eyes.

She dozed for a few minutes before waking up; she glanced out into the darkness, finding nothing to arouse her suspicion. But she felt uncomfortable nonetheless, like she was being watched.

Maybe, she reasoned, it was just the disconcerting fact that they were sleeping in an open plain with no cover to speak of. That would have put even Naruto on edge…

She twisted her head over her shoulder, whispering, "Abel…are you awake?"

"Yes?" He replied, though he didn't sound tired at all.

"Uh…I'm just having a hard time sleeping." She replied sheepishly.

"It does feel strange." He agreed.

He turned his head to her and added, "Why don't you come here?"

"What?" She asked.

He just patted the space beside him with a smile.

Sakura, blushing, slid out of her pallet and into his. He turned over, wrapping his arms around her.

"Try to get some rest." He said, pulling her so close her back was flush against his stomach and chest.

"What about you?"

"I'm a light sleeper on a good night; I'll be fine."

Sakura, already growing drowsy, just nodded as her eyelids fluttered down.

* * *

Abel was the first to wake up, feeling quite good after a full eight hours of sleep despite the deplorable conditions they were working with. The sun was just starting to peer over the horizon, he knew, though the clouds let very little of the already meager light filter through.

He glanced down at the female in his arms, her hand having twined with his during the night. She mumbled something in her sleep, shifting slightly before she settled back into her own.

He smiled as he gently pushed back a stray strand of pink hair with his free hand. It was odd how such a fragile-looking girl could generate such power. And not even in the strictly physical sense, but also in the power she commanded diplomatically. Or the calm she produced simply by walking into a room. She really was…spectacular.

And there was no denying she was a beautiful woman. Her pink hair, emerald green eyes, and pale complexion gave her an ethereal appearance, especially in the moonlight that now bathed her face. She was lithe, but far from masculine in outline and very feminine in the way she carried herself.

But even more fascinating was her mind and her morality. She had such a sense of justice and such love in her heart. She was brilliant and quick to learn. She was…

If angels were as close to perfection as he might come, he had found his.

Sakura stirred in his arms, her eyes fluttered open as she turned over and looked into his eyes.

"Good morning." She yawned.

"It's not quite that late. Try to get some more sleep."

She gave a half-hearted nod, already drifting back into sleep.

* * *

It was well after eight before they actually got moving again; with the heavy cloud cover, it was quite easy to drift back to sleep. Something Abel found out first hand when Sakura leaned down to wake him up.

"Sorry." She said as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"No, it's alright. We need to get moving." He said through a yawn.

"I'll pack up while you eat something." She offered, handing him an energy bar.

He nodded, stepping out of the pallet as he ripped open the aluminum package and bit into the rectangular fruit and oat mixture.

"Did you sleep well?" Sakura asked as she packed the pallet into his bag and buckled both of their packs.

"Yes, thank you. And you?"

"Very well." She replied.

Abel opened his mouth to respond when Sakura's eyes suddenly widened and she slammed into him, forcing him against the ground. Something landed with a heavy thud in the dirt several feet off and he glanced over to see an ax lying in the dust.

"Where did it come from?" He demanded as she pushed herself off of him.

"There." She replied, her gun already drawn as she motioned to the left.

But there was nothing there in _any_ direction…there wasn't even anything to _suggest_ someone had been there, not a footprint, dust cloud…nothing.

"Look out!" Sakura cried.

Suddenly they were under attack. There were literally dozens of weapons flying at them from every direction.

Sakura flipped left, bending back to avoid another ax that very nearly raked over her chest. At the same time, she had to curve her back to avoid another.

"Abel!" She cried helpless as she spun to evade the next set. But even that simple movement required so many twists, turns, and bends that she wouldn't be able to keep it up for long.

Abel glanced up at her even as he jumped to avoid the metallic rain coming in on him. Several axes very nearly clipped either his shoulder or his abdomen. At those speeds, even a small laceration would be exacerbated into serious problem.

"Where are they coming from?" He wondered aloud.

"I don't know!" She replied as she dove under another set. But as she came down, she slammed her fist against the ground, forcing a slab of earth upwards.

Abel sprinted in behind her, sliding against the make-shift shield.

"How are they doing this?" Sakura demanded to herself.

Before Abel would respond, Sakura tore off the canteen on her hip and unscrewed the top. In one inhumanely fast movement, she threw the contents in a spray around them. Some of the drops hung in the air, reflecting the material beneath them.

"Cloaking devices…" She trailed off as she ducked back behind the sheet of rock.

Abel nodded; of course, most cloaking devices bent the light around them to make the user invisible. But water broke light and recombined it, meaning they became visible once they were exposed to clear water.

"Good thinking." He smiled.

"Thanks." She replied. "Now to take care of them."

Abel's revolver clicked reassuringly as he smirked. Sakura smiled back, her fist glowing as she leapt over the rock.

* * *

"They're getting more sophisticated." Sakura told him as she drew her hands from the incised corpse, "Cloaking systems, upgraded biological systems, reinforcements to the muscles and tendons…"

"Dietrich." Abel spat.

She nodded, "So it would seem."

Abel knelt down beside her, pouring the contents of his canteen over her hands to rinse off the blood and tattered gore.

"Thanks." She said as he rose, handing her back her shirt.

She had stripped the red tunic off to keep it clean. The shirt beneath, a black tube top with fishnet and a single strap that wrapped around her right shoulder, however, was much the worse for wear after the field autopsy.

"Abel…I don't think these are the best they have." She finally sighed.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because several of these systems are even more primitive that basic Death Hunters. These are…prototypes, I would guess." She replied as she shrugged her shirt back over her shoulders and pulled the zipper.

"Then this whole area…" Abel trailed off.

"Might be one big test site."

Abel bit down on the inside of his cheek in fury; if that was the case, the reports coming from the surrounding villages and towns were likely test runs…on helpless civilians, nonetheless.

"It's going to be weeks before _Iron Maiden_ returns for us." Sakura sighed.

"And the interference in the air prevents us from making a call to them." Abel added.

Abel sighed to himself as he looked down at Sakura and then up towards the horizon. Between the battle and the field work they had completed on the bodies, they were losing daylight. And there was no question they would need rest.

"We might as well settle down here for the night. With the radiation in the air, tracking devices won't work." He finally said.

Sakura nodded tiredly as he pulled out his own sleeping pallet and slipped in, motioning for her to join him. She just sighed as she crawled under the layers of heavy cloth and curled up against him.

"Abel…"

"Hmm?"

"Do you ever get the feeling you're chasing shadows?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Never mind."

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

_**Chapter Eighteen: Bloodlust **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood!**_

It was the click of a gun that woke both to them, though neither dared to move with the ring of armed men around them.

"Who are you?" One of them demanded.

"Deputy Enforcers Abel Nightroad and Sakura Haruno." Abel replied, "If you look in our bags, you'll find our badges."

One of the men hauled up the first pack, dumping its contents on the ground and rifling through them until he produced Sakura's badge. Abel's bag got similar treatment, but in the end, it convinced the small civilian brigade they weren't dangerous.

"Sorry about that." One of them said as he helped Sakura to her feet. "We saw you two and naturally we just reacted."

Sakura snorted disdainfully, though Abel quickly assured them it was alright.

"Why don't you guys come back with us? We can put you up for the night." He offered.

"That would be lovely, Mr…" Abel trailed off, extending his hand.

"Just call me Robert." He replied, taking Abel's hand in his own.

"Nice to meet you." The silver-haired man replied.

"Sorry about the mess." Robert added as he stooped to help put Sakura and Abel's bags back in order.

"It's quite alright." Abel said as he knelt down and folded Sakura's shirt back into her pack.

Sakura shook her head, but he could see her lips pull up in a smile as she strapped the bag over her shoulder. Abel grabbed his and they began walking.

"How far is your city?" Sakura asked.

Robert laughed, "It's hardly a city. Just a small village about twenty miles out."

"And…you live there without radiation protection?" Sakura responded.

"No, the Vatican is kind enough to provide us with regular shipments."

There was a collective sigh of relief from the operatives.

Robert just chuckled.

* * *

It must have been well after midnight before they stepped foot into the small village. And that was definitely the right term for it: they lived in small cottages with a wooden center pavilion and no visible technology of any kind. In fact, they heated their food over fires she realized when they were escorted into Robert's home.

"You guys must be hungry." He said as he stirred a pot of stew. "Take a seat."

"Please, let me help you." Sakura replied, dropping her bag under the table.

"You two are my guests."

"Don't worry about it; I love this kind of stuff." Sakura said.

"Well, if you'd get the bread out of the pantry over there."

"I'm on it." Sakura smiled back as she crossed the room and found the loaf of wheat bread.

"If I might be so bold, what were you doing the desert?" Abel asked suddenly.

"Well, there's been a lot of mutants running around lately. We were hunting them."

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"Well, the last three attacked a group of kids. Fortunately, none of them were hurt too badly." Robert replied.

"I see." Abel sighed.

"Yeah, but it's been peaceful since then." Robert stated as he ladled out three bowls of the chicken stew.

"That's good…" Sakura replied quietly as she took a seat.

"Yeah." He said, pulling up a seat as he laid out their bowls.

"Well, we thank you for your hospitality." Abel said as he picked up a spoon and began in on his stew.

"It's no problem; especially after how we treated you." Robert laughed.

"That's alright." Sakura replied as she spooned some of the hot liquid into her mouth.

"This is quite good!" Abel remarked.

"Thanks." Robert responded.

Dinner passed quickly over the light conversation Abel made with Robert. But it was close to two in the morning before the dishes were washed and dried and the house put in order and any of them considered sleep.

Abel was just about to excuse himself for the night when a woman's scream pierced the night with a cry of "Mutants!"

"Not again!" Robert cried as he retrieved his weapon and stormed into the night.

Abel nodded to Sakura as he followed after the civilian. Sakura, however, moved out through the back door.

"Robert! Wait!" Abel cried as he pulled him aside, his superior vision trained on the shadows flickering between the buildings.

And just as quickly, a woman stumbled from her home and into the alley, a small child in her arms. She must have tripped over something, because she was suddenly sprawled against the ground, a silver flicker bearing down on her.

There was a clash of metal on metal and a scatter of sparks in the air.

"I don't think so." Sakura hissed as she levered the thread away, shocked to find it literally sinking into the metal of her kunai. Her eyes flickered to the woman, who she commanded to run. If she thought this odd, she didn't reveal it in her immediate compliance with the demand.

But she didn't move fast enough, and the weapon cut through her dagger and sank deeply between two ribs. Sakura tore away instinctively, clamping her hand on the wound. She had been lucky, she knew; it hadn't lacerated anything vital, but it would seriously hinder her movements.

Abel cried out to her and moved to help her only to find himself dodging another weapon that flew from the blackness. But in the same instant he evaded it, he also fired back at the creature---whatever it was. However, he already knew this was far beyond the capacity of the civilian villagers to handle and with only one other (wounded) operative, their chances of victory were non-existent.

He hadn't even really finished his thought when an ax buried itself in his thigh. The initial shock overrode the pain, and he quickly recovered, though his retaliatory shot went wild.

"You two really are quite annoying."

"Dietrich!" Sakura yelled, flinging a kunai at him to bide enough time to draw her weapon.

He simply ducked his head, easily avoiding the projectile, "Temper, temper…"

"Go to hell." Sakura snapped back.

"And would you send me there?" Dietrich asked as he toyed with several silver threads around his fingers. His gaze shifted suddenly to a small child…

"NO!" Sakura cried, throwing herself between him and the girl.

She felt the tearing of the flesh in her torso, left thigh, and right calf. At first, there was very little pain, only the pulling sensation that she recognized as a sign that the injury was bad. She glanced over her shoulder at the child, who, though shaken, was unharmed…and at the wires that had embedded in the stone behind her.

"Foolish." Dietrich smirked as he lightly pulled on the wire, tearing even more serious wounds.

Sakura sank to her knees, her eyes never leaving his as he jerked the wires free through bone, muscle, and skin.

'The Sword of Beelzebub…' Abel realized sickly. After Isaak's death, his apprentice must have inherited the thin mono-carbon wires that could slice through diamond…

"Dietrich!" He yelled.

The sadist leveled his gaze with the priest's before he smirked, "We should see her true nature any moment."

"What are you talking about?" Abel demanded.

"She is still a Methuselah, Priest."

Blood…

"How…"

"She's never been wounded this badly. Not even when she was impaled by an enemy of hers six months back." Dietrich continued his eyes flickering back to Abel, "These are mortal wounds."

"You monster." Abel hissed.

"I would hardly worry about me." Dietrich chuckled as he motioned to the kunoichi, laying face down in a pool of her own blood.

"I'm…not…like you." Sakura hissed suddenly as she forced herself up onto her knees.

"No," Dietrich mused, "I'm nowhere near as pathetic. Look at you, soaked in your blood, unable even to stand."

Sakura smirked, a pained motion of defiance, as she pushed herself to her legs, stumbling back against the wall just inches behind her.

"I'm impressed." He admitted, motioning for his Death Hunter to attack.

The target this time was an elderly man with no mass on his bony frame. He didn't even really know an attack had been launched until Sakura's dagger clashed with the Death Hunter's ax.

"A fighter, I see." Dietrich smirked as she was again forced to her knees.

A round was fired a fraction of a second later by Abel, "Silence your forked tongue."

The pressure on Sakura's arms slackened as the corpse tumbled back flatly, dead again…

"I suppose you're going to make me, Priest?"

"If you force my hand any further."

"_I_ don't have to," Dietrich smiled sadistically as he glanced back at Sakura, "Because _she_ will."

Sakura's gaze flickered up angrily; but she knew he was right. The smell of her _own_ blood was making her…God help her…_hungry_. She was afraid of what she might do to the villagers around her…to the children and the elderly that wouldn't have a fighting chance.

"Abel…" She whimpered helplessly as she sank back even further on her knees, another puddle of crimson forming around her.

Dietrich smiled, motioning to the automated corpses behind him, "Don't worry. We really have no interest in intervening at _this_ point. We just want to watch."

Abel gave the command, power surging through his body. His crimson eyes settled on the Death Hunters and in one fell swoop, he had lacerated several of them. He moved closer, slowly, giving them one last chance to slink back to the slime filled pit they had crawled out of, though none of them moved. And the front lines dropped a moment later in an arc of crimson.

That seemed to force Dietrich into backing down slightly and he was able to approach Sakura. He moved to kneel down beside her only to have her draw back from him, a feral growl catching in her throat. For a moment he was startled but the sudden change in her demeanor…but then he realized that was her purely vampiric side. It was the primal recognition of a superior predator.

Silently, he forced the nano-machines in his body back. It took not more than a second for her entire body to loosen and her eyes to flicker with acknowledgment that he was a friend. He knelt beside her, pushing her hair out of her face as he tried to inspect her…

He realized how badly wounded she was when he tried to move her into a better position and had his hand sink into the pulped flesh of her ribcage. He pulled back immediately, afraid of harming her more. Though by that time she seemed so far gone with fatal hemorrhagic shock he doubted she noticed the intrusion at all.

"Sakura, listen to me very closely. You need blood; you're going to have to take it from me."

Even half-dead, she refused, shaking her head weakly. "I won't…be…one of them…"

"Sakura," Abel stated, "I drink the blood of Methuselah. Am I a monster?"

"No!" She replied with more fire than he thought she had left.

"Then this is no different." He told her.

"I don't…want…to hurt…you." She whimpered, a tear running down her blood-spattered face.

"You won't." He promised as he pulled her against him, shrugging off the right arm of his jacket to expose his neck.

She resisted for a fraction of a second before she leaned it against him. In the pale, fading moonlight he realized her teeth had sharpened to fangs. He felt no pain, not even really the puncture of her bite, only the delicate sensation of her drinking.

"Good girl." He smiled.

He worried for only a moment about the nano-machines in his blood. But in his dormant state, they would simply break down in her stomach without harming her.

More than an hour passed while she fed, though his enhanced body, even with the nano-machines dormant, produced more than enough blood to supply both of them. At that point, his biggest concern was the gravity of her injuries. Though they were healing well, they were also healing slowly. And the mere act of feeding was zapping her limited strength. In the end, he imagined it was exhaustion that prevented her from feeding any more.

She simply collapsed back against his chest, semi-conscious but too tired to do anything more than lie there.

"M…monster!" One of the villages cried suddenly, pointing an accusing finger at her.

Before Abel could defend her, another voice rose above the din, "That girl saved our lives!"

"Robert…" Abel trailed off, smiling gratefully at him.

"Touch her or him, and I'll personally see to the punishment of the aggressor." He added as he motioned for Abel to follow him.

"Thank you." The priest said as Robert bolted his door behind them.

"I'm only doing what's right." Robert insisted as he began packing provisions for them, "But I can't protect you two for long."

"We wouldn't ask you to." Abel said, glancing down at the female in his arms.

"Go out the back way. They won't see you." Robert concluded as he packed a bundle of food into Abel's pack and handed him both of the bags.

"Thank you." Abel said as he stepped out through the door.

"No," Robert replied, "Thank _you_."

Abel smiled as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

Sakura groaned slightly as she came to.

"Ah, I see you're awake." Abel commented happily as he glanced up at her.

She groaned again in response, "Yeah…I just wish I wasn't."

"I didn't think you'd be feeling very well." He replied.

"You'd win that bet."

"Gambling's a sin." He chirped.

"You get my point."

He nodded, smiling at her again.

"Can you set me down please?" She asked after a moment.

Abel hesitated, "You're still wounded."

"I know. Just…please." She replied.

He nodded, more to himself than her as he knelt down and helped her off of his back.

It didn't matter; she couldn't take more than a few steps with his support. In the end, he just helped her to the ground to spare her the embarrassment of an outright collapse.

"You really need to eat." He stated.

"Let me grab an energy bar."

"You know that's not what I mean."

Sakura blanched visibly. Her hand trembled as it hovered above the pack, her eyes suddenly vacant and distant.

"Abel…I…"

He pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her as he did. Reactively, she folded herself against him.

"Sakura, it's going to be alright." He promised.

"Abel…I don't think I can." She whispered.

"Don't think about it. Just do it." He replied.

Sakura nodded painfully against him, resting her head against his chest for a moment before she lifted her chin and hovered next to his neck.

"Abel…I don't think I can do it here."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Your throat." She replied as she took his hand and glanced at his wrist.

"I see." He said, following her gaze, "But that will do, as well."

Sakura gave another small nod as he lifted his wrist to her lips. She leaned in but stopped again.

"I don't want to hurt you…" She said, knowing how many sensitive nerves rested in the skin along the inside of the wrist.

"You won't." He assured her.

"Okay, then…" She mumbled as she pressed her lips against there and sank her fangs past the skin.

She was immediately struck by the fact that, although his blood was still quite good---potent and musky---she no longer lost conscious thought at the sight and smell of it. She assumed that was a good thing. But the taste…it was very easy to lose herself in that. And by the time she pulled back, she saw the sun had moved several degrees across the sky.

She glanced up at him, surprised, irrationally, to find him smiling back at her. His hand came across her cheek, gently tilting her head up so his lips could meet hers.

TBC


	19. Chapter 19

_**Chapter Nineteen: Mirror Image**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Trinity Blood or Naruto. **_

Abel had to admit that nothing about the mission had gone according to plan. In fact, it was such a massive screw-up, he himself (the king of embarrassing screw-ups) felt like a failure. But, at the very least, he had gotten some valuable bonding time with Sakura. And _that_ was no waste of time.

He really felt much closer to her since Dietrich's attack; probably because there was something very intimate about sharing blood. It wasn't even about the eroticism of the neck or the primal vulnerability of exposing one's wrist, it was that she had trusted him in the way that she had in the time that she did.

"Abel?" She sing-songed.

"Oh, yes?" He asked absently.

"You zoned out of me." She replied.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He responded with a sheepish grin.

"It's alright," She assured him hastily, "But…" She gestured to the barren land around them, "It's kind of a bad place to space out."

"Very true." He admitted.

"You know, I've been thinking."

"About?"

Sakura opened her mouth to respond when something flitted out of the blue in front of them, a silver slash cleaving downward at them. Instinctively, both darted to the side, letting the ax sink harmlessly into the ground. Abel reacted faster, though, and before the Auto-Jager could recover its weapon, had pumped several rounds at it. But the creature took the hits in the arm and leg, hardly vital wounds...It snapped up, swinging at Sakura.

The kunoichi rotated downward on her waist, coming back up against the creature's arm and slamming her fist into its chest.

The force of the blow caved the ground beneath it…not unusual…until the entire thing fell in on itself. Both of the operatives cried out in surprise as they fell through the ground and into a concrete corridor.

Before either could recover, more Death Hunters were on top of them.

"Sakura! Go!" Abel cried, as he was forced down the opposite hall by their sheer numbers.

Sakura didn't like it, but what choice did she have?

She ran until she came to a fork in the hallway, glancing over her shoulder once as she turned left. There were still the flashes of light that let her know Abel was far from down, but that did little to soothe her anxiety as he disappeared behind the wall entirely.

The scuttle of vampires behind her forced her to pick up her pace, but she saw she was limited in her options now. She had obviously taken the wrong turn, because all there was a dead-end corridor with a door. Deciding she very well couldn't take a chance underground with a bunch of Auto-Jagers, she simply collided with the door, wood splintered as she crushed it beneath her knee.

What she saw as the door fell away stopped her dead in her tracks.

* * *

Abel was finding his battle entirely too easy. The creatures weren't using Haste, had barely lifted their weapons, and hadn't even attempted to herd him into a narrow choke point. It was like they were just trying to ring him into one area.

And he didn't like that.

He eyed their formation, selected a target, and fired off a single round that found its mark easily. The dead creature toppled over, falling on its comrade and giving him just enough room to sprint by them.

Unfortunately, he hadn't seen which way his lover had turned and before he could make a selective choice, several Auto-Jagers had slid between him and the right hall, forcing him down the left.

* * *

"No…no…you…" Sakura stammered.

"Really, I should have been more careful. If I had realized it was you, I would have had them lead you away before you could use that monstrous strength of yours." He remarked evenly with a smirk.

"It was never Dietrich, was it?" She hissed, though it was hardly a question anymore.

"He was involved quite heavily, in fact. But he lacked the…_technical_ skill that I possess."

Sakura bit back the reply pushing at her lips and narrowed her eyes as she surveyed him.

"You changed your stitch pattern." She finally commented, realizing that was why she hadn't suspected him sooner.

"It was a necessary evil." He replied, pushing his glasses up over the bridge of his nose.

Again, she made no response.

"Really, though, the technology Lord Dietrich gave me access to have greatly improved my work." He stated with a smirk.

"Your _work_?" Sakura growled, "Is _that_ what you call _this_?"

Her demand was punctured by her gesture to the corpses on the wall, in suspension tanks, to the gore spattered on the walls and the bodies on the tables around them…some still moving as they took in breath.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Go to hell."

"You say that a lot, Sakura-chan, but you seem to have lost some of your bite."

"Hardly." She snipped back.

She continued before he could say anything further, "Did you know your former master was such a pathetic worm?"

"Orochimaru? Hmmm…well, he always was rather...lame." He smirked, choosing his words carefully.

"No wonder you two got along so well." She replied dryly.

He just shrugged.

"What do you know?" She demanded.

"Why do you want to know?" He replied, "Don't you think it would hurt less that way?"

Sakura opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out.

"I thought as much." He stated.

Hatred well up before she could suppress it, though it took only a moment before she could beat it back.

"You could have had a second chance." She finally sighed.

"I got mine." He said, motioning around him.

"You know I have no choice then."

"If you can back that kind of threat, you're welcome to it." He replied.

Sakura nodded; that was fair.

For a moment it was quiet, almost peaceful. It was the deep breath before the plunge, she supposed as she eyed him for a moment…he was a person---a person with his own set of skills and faults, like any other. He was just another life, in the grand scheme of things, but that was oversimplifying it, she knew.

And then it was chaos: Sakura's fist came down on the ground, but with much less force than she would have liked to use. She couldn't risk collapsing the facility. Debris flew into the air, veiling her as she sprinted at him. By then, the air was densely charged with chakra the small bits of concrete were suspended between them.

She swung her fist at him, attempting to end it with a powerful back-hand. But Kabuto was fast, and easily ducked under her, attacking the muscle in her left shin with his chakra scalpel. Sakura simply reacted, bringing her free leg up against his chin. But she had been forced to move so quickly, she didn't have time to build up the necessary chakra to ensure a death blow, and it only sent him sliding back a few feet…and not in time to escape injury. Her own weight caused the damaged leg to buckle, and she dropped clumsily to one knee.

Kabuto charged her again, his hands glowing blue. He attempted to slit her throat, but she rolled quickly to the left, extending her leg as she did in the hope of tripping him up. But again he was one step ahead of her and used the opportunity to cut the tendon in her ankle. However in doing so, he weakened his stance significantly, giving her a chance to land a punishing crescent kick to his stomach. Of course, though, any damage she had done, he healed before he even landed.

She'd have to finish him in one blow if she wanted to kill him. For a moment she wondered if it would be worth it to interrogate him; but she quickly decided against it: he was a huge security threat, and would likely reveal nothing, anyway.

* * *

Abel lifted himself in the ventilation shaft, dropping the grate down behind him. He doubted highly any of the Death Hunters he had encountered were going to be functional ever again, so it didn't matter in that moment.

What did matter, however, was finding Sakura. There was only one reason he could conceive that would have prevented her from eventually fighting her way to him from behind as he did the same from the front...and that was that she had encountered trouble. And if she hadn't dealt with it by then, then it was large enough to warrant his concern.

* * *

There was an art to a medical nin fight. You moved differently when facing a medical expert than you did any other warrior. You didn't block with your wrist, and subsequently reveal the artery there, you never exposed your torso, so your kicks were always crescents or high snaps, you never simply punched and consequently divulged the fragile muscles and nerves in your throat and chest, and you never flipped unless you had cleared their attack and flicker radius completely, because to do so would expose your stomach with all of its organs and blood vessels.

But more than that, a fight between medic nins was about minute skill rather than force; any fighter could break bones and bruise muscle, but a medic was much more delicate: they lacerated arteries in the brain, shocked hair thin nerves, and dissected the membranes around organs, all without being able to see their what they were doing. They had to sense their environment, to feel using pure energy.

Sakura spun, catching his leg with her hand and yanking him down. But he recovered so quickly that she found herself reeling with his kick. And he moved so quickly that she again found herself on the losing end of a downward slice of his chakra blade. However this time she managed to catch it with her own before it could sink too deeply into her arm and caught him in the leg with her second blade.

At this point, they were matching each other blow for blow, and in severity…she realized it would come down to stamina. And he knew that too…

"You can't beat me, Haruno." He smirked as he landed a back-hand to her that was vicious enough to send her sprawling.

"Watch me!" She snapped as she brought her foot around; it wasn't even a grazing blow…

"Oh…it looks like my time here has come to an end." He stated, gesturing to the vent.

Sakura instinctively looked up, realizing it was Abel at the same moment a kunai sunk into her shoulder. Her head jerked back in time to see him complete the seals for a Substitution. In a knee-jerk attempt to stop him, she ripped the dagger free and snapped it at him…but she knew the moment it collided with a wooden thud that it was too late…he had escaped.

She cursed under her breath as Abel came up behind her.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine." She assured him as she turned to face him, "But _we_ may not be for very long…"

Abel's eyes flickered to the Death Hunters now crowding the door way and back to the helpless bodies on the tables.

"I'll take care of them." Sakura whispered, "If you'll take care of _them_."

Abel nodded, snapping the barrel of his revolver into place.

* * *

Sakura brushed the eyelids of the last one down with her fingertips as Abel's last shot was fired.

"Is that all?" She asked, looking to him.

He nodded.

"Good. Now get out of here." She replied.

"What?"

"I'll meet you on the surface, just go."

* * *

Abel stood several hundred feet back as a shockwave rocked the surface, the compound below collapsing in on itself. A massive cloud of debris shot from the newly created divot in the earth, a blur of motion following it and materializing beside him.

"That," She said, "Should put a stop to the attacks…for now."

"Then we've won this battle."

'But not the war…' He thought.

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

_**Chapter Twenty: Failure to Compute**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood!**_

Abel didn't know what happened, it was too fast even for his eyes. There was a sudden blast of white and blue, a blur of white and purple, a flash of red, and Sakura's exhalation of surprise. And then…nothingness.

* * *

Sakura's arms latched automatically around Sasuke's as her feet left the ground. She curled up instinctively as the landscape faded to nothing more than a smear of drab color. She didn't even know which way was up anymore.

"Sasuke!" She hissed.

"Shut up."

Sakura was just about to open her mouth to protest when he stopped abruptly, the sudden lack of speed shocking her into slackening her grip and sending her tumbling against a stone floor.

"What _the hell_?" She snapped, forcing herself to her knees.

"Indeed."

She froze at the sound of that voice…

Her jade green eyes widening, Sakura's head rotated slowly on her slender neck, bringing them against cerulean orbs…it would be several moments before she noted the crimson cast to them.

"N…Naruto…"

"Not quite." He smirked, his teeth a little too…pointed.

"What…?" She trailed off, the light of dawning horror just behind the green veil of her irises.

"_Are you really as blind as the rest of those fools_?" He hissed, and his voice was suddenly….it was like listening to two different people talk at once…there was a malicious echo to it.

"The Kyuubi…"

His smile widened eerily, his clawed hand coming under his chin as he appraised her from his seat several feet above them.

"RELEASE HIM!" She demanded, rising angrily to her feet, chakra glowing green around her fists.

His smile widened even further, a rasping chuckle caught in his throat that soon became an insane fit of laughter. He threw his head back, the sound sending chills down her spine. Ice settled in the pit of her stomach…

"There is nothing to release."

Sakura's head dropped, her balled fists loosening at her sides. Her knees quivered weakly. But he just continued to speak.

"It was so easy to pull him under, promise him the power to save his friends, the power to fulfill his dreams, to slowly chip at him day after day. To lull him to me and swallow him slowly. I _consumed_ him, mind and soul. And his empty husk became my vessel…for the first time, I was free. And the first thing I did was destroy those fools that had imprisoned me."

For a moment, the kunoichi didn't speak, her head hung, her eyes covered by a curtain of pink hair. But her fists tensed at her sides. A single tear fell against the stone as she raised her head, her eyes flashing dangerously. Her chakra rose steeply, stone fracturing and flying around her only to be suspended in the net of her green halo of energy.

"I should probably thank you…"

His eyes narrowed against hers.

"Now I don't have to worry about killing you!" She snapped. Her knees flexed and straightened, sending her body flying at him.

* * *

Abel slid his glasses off the bridge of his nose, his eyes snapping open. The wintry blue orbs fell against the sand, color rising faintly from the granules of quartz. But the sheer size of the trail was incredible…and it was fading fast.

His eyes narrowed his, his body tensing, and instinct took over…

* * *

Sakura turned sideways at him, her right fist pulled back as a cry of rage tore through her throat. She was mere feet from him when a familiar streak of color blurred between them. There was the flash of silver and a blast of blue that sent her flying.

She slammed against the floor, rolling back on her shoulder blades to right herself.

"What are you doing?!" She demanded of the Uchiha.

He snorted derisively, descending the steps towards her. His Kusanagi gleamed malevolently in the dim light.

"Move aside, Sasuke," She hissed, "Or I'll kill you, too!"

He snorted again, his lips pulling up arrogantly as he eyed her, snapping his katana in front of him.

* * *

Abel eyed the pink color vapor coming from the sand…the remnants of her energy pattern, visible only to Crusnik eyes. And running against it was a band of black…must more heavily colored and present than hers…

* * *

The force of his Chidori knocked her so forcefully against the ceiling of the compound that she flew threw it. Sand bit into her skin a moment later, taking entire layers off as she rolled with the impact of the blow. Stunned, for a moment her body refused to comply with her demands to move and she found herself pinned by Sasuke.

"Kill me if you're going to." She spat.

He just smirked again, leveling the tip of his blade against her hollow of her throat. He leaned in, eyes flashing crimson. Chakra crackled around them electrically. His lips brushed against her ear as he spoke, "No."

She was so locked in his eyes that she didn't see his fist come across her cheek and knock her into oblivion.

* * *

Abel wandered for hours, until a small speck appeared on the horizon…his eyes detected the crimson of her tunic and the pink of her hair….

He ran forward, and the moment she recognized him, she sprinted at him. They collided somewhere in the middle.

"What happened?" He demanded, noting her bloody appearance and the dark blot on her cheek.

She shook her head, refusing to admit it out loud. She buried her head in his jacket and let the world fade around them…and then it was just the two of them…beyond the reach of all but God….

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

_**Chapter Twenty-One: One in the Same**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Trinity Blood or Naruto…if I did, they would have been combined a very, very long time ago...*shifty eyes***_

Sakura wiped away the trickle of crimson from the corner of her mouth, aware for the first time of how hard she was biting on her lower lip. She glanced side long as Abel as she did, hoping he hadn't noticed. But something told her he did, even if his own gaze hadn't shifted.

She felt a sudden, irrational hostility towards him. She shook her head, forcing the rage back down into her stomach.

"Abel…if you love someone…when do you stop them?"

Abel swallowed hard against the sudden knot in this throat; he could have played dumb, but why bother?

"I suppose when the blood on their hands is your responsibility…"

"What do you mean?"

"When a death could have been prevented if you had stepped up."

Sakura felt irrationally attacked, and again beat back the urge to strike something…or someone.

"So, what you're saying…is that this is my fault."

"Heavens, no! I'm saying that sometimes you have to make hard decisions, not for the greater good…but for the good of this."

He tapped her chest with his index, just over her heart.

"And…what if that's already gone?" She asked, her throat too dry suddenly.

"You can only bury the truth, Sakura, you can't eradicate it."

* * *

Sakura gazed up into the night sky, wondering exactly where her teammates were…and then she remembered that they weren't her comrades anymore…they were her enemies. And the time was coming when she would have to fight them in earnest…

And there was no way in heaven or hell that she was going to pull her punches.

If she loved them, then she would free them…

Free Sasuke from his hate, free Naruto from a body that was now a prison.

And she would suffer for it, she knew…but she loved them…completely and irrevocably. So she would suffer, happily, for them.

* * *

It was such a relief to be back in the Vatican that Sakura thought nothing of the four days that passed between Russia and her home. In fact, when she wasn't sleeping, she made it a point not to think. She kept to herself, avoiding Abel, Kate, everyone aboard Iron Maiden, and when she got back, she went straight Caterina.

If anyone could help her…it would be her.

Caterina saw her in quickly, took her report, and finally asked gently why she had really come.

"Duchess Milan, I want to know…how does God see…love?"

"Love? It's everything to Him. But I don't think that's why you're here."

Sakura's eyes hardened and she replied, "You're right. If I have to kill someone, in the defense of me or my own, what does He say about it?"

"If you were given the order, those who gave it bear the burden of right or wrong. But if you did it of your own volition, then God weighs the decision."

"And…what about…your own life…is it yours?"

Caterina eyed her severely, her teacup coming down so hard on the wood of her desk that a chip flew from the rim of the porcelain. "God doesn't take kindly to suicide, Sakura, in any form."

They stared at each other for a moment before Sakura stood, bowed, and walked out of the room.

She had her head down so low that she didn't realize how close Abel was until she collided with his lower chest.

"Oh…Abel!" She cried out in surprise, stumbling back.

His arm shot out automatically, pulling her back onto her feet and centering her gravity.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I was just turning in my report." He replied, holding up a sheath of papers as proof.

"Oh." She responded lamely.

He just smiled, and then he asked if she wanted to get some lunch.

A decline was on the tip of her tongue, but the word that came out wasn't the one she had thought she would use.

"Yes." She replied, surprising herself as much as him, if the look on his face was any indication.

"Lovely. Let me get these turned in and I'll meet you in the café."

She nodded, watching as he passed down the hall.

* * *

Sakura looked down into her iced tea, stirring the wedge of orange into it. She dropped another sugar cube into the liquid, watching it dissolve.

She didn't even notice Abel until she heard the scrape of the legs of the chair on the concrete as he pulled it out.

"Hello, there." He teased, sliding a menu at her.

Sakura caught it beneath her palm automatically as a waiter brought Abel a cup of tea.

"They have lovely chicken pasta here." He remarked.

"So I hear." Her throat suddenly clogged.

He must have noticed, because a moment later his hand came over hers and closed over her fingers.

"Sakura…no matter what happens, you have me." He told her.

"Abel…"

Her hand tightened around his fingers, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. He reached across the table, and wiped it away with his thumb.

* * *

Caterina glanced out through the window and spotted them. A smile came to her face…and fell just as quickly when she saw their joined hands.

The blood seemed to rush out of her cheeks, and the entire world paled around her…

TBC


	22. Chapter 22

_**Chapter Twenty-Two: Prelude to Heartbreak **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood! **_

It wasn't more than twelve hours since they returned that Caterina summoned both of them. Sakura couldn't imagine why; they both had their reports turned in. Not to mention the odd hour of one A.M. that she had chosen…

They appeared not long after in her office, both more half-asleep that awake and very much the worse for wear.

"I'm sorry to have called you so soon after your travels." She began, motioning for them to have a seat as she took her own.

They were both all too happy to comply.

"I read the report Kate compiled and I must say that it seems we have our hands rather full on all sides." She sighed.

"So it would seem." Abel responded mildly.

"And without a base of operations, we are truly in a bit of a bind."

"What? I thought the Empire had agreed to let us operate from there." Sakura replied.

"Sadly, my brother has managed to sway the opinion of the other Cardinals and nobles."

Sakura groaned inwardly, resting her head in the palm of her head for a moment. Nothing seemed to be working very well for them. And now one of their own was going to sabotage them? Lovely…

"Yes," Caterina agreed regally, "It is…unfortunate. However, we simply must continue onwards until Rome has been restored."

"That could take months." Abel replied.

"Or years…" Sakura trailed off through a curtain of pink hair.

"Until such time we will operate from _Iron Maiden II_."

"Isn't that like saying, 'Come and get us! We're ripe for destruction!'?" Sakura snorted.

"Something akin to it, yes." The Cardinal replied.

"Great." Sakura dead panned.

"I'm sure Cardinal Francesco was kind enough to implement new security measures, at the least." Abel assured her.

"For his own protection, at the very least." She replied, bitterness marring her voice the slightest bit. "But that isn't why I called you here."

Abel cocked his head silently, Sakura responding similarly.

"Your attendance is required at a ceremony tonight to celebrate the birthday of his Holiness."

"WHAT?!" The cried in unison.

"This hardly seems an appropriate time, Caterina!" Abel sputtered.

"I would have to agree, Abel." She replied, but something in her eyes said otherwise.

Sakura stood up, excusing herself with the excuse that she really had a lot to do if she was to attend a ceremony later. Caterina and Abel allowed her to leave, both of them trapped in each other's gaze.

It wasn't until after the door closed that Abel spoke again. "Caterina, what is this all about?"

Caterina's blue eyes stayed on his, "He gives up so much, Abel. It's been years since his birthday was even remembered. I know that this is an awkward time for celebration, but it would serve not only to recognize him, but also heighten morale."

Abel couldn't think up a rebuttal…it seemed unfair she would direct that statement at him, knowing his humanity would win out over logic. But…it did seem right, too.

* * *

It wasn't until after the door closed behind the Crusnik that Caterina allowed herself a moment of thought.

She remembered the lock of their hands…

Dear God, she needed to know…

* * *

"Do you mind if I join you?"

Sakura glanced up at the voice, nodding as she pushed her cup of tea aside.

"I…I want to apologize for how I acted the last time we spoke, Duchess Kiev."

"I did no better. Shameful, really, considered my bloodline." Astha replied.

"Truce?"

Astha nodded, a sharp movement that betrayed that fact she wasn't human.

"I understand there's a celebration tonight."

"Have the Methuselah nobles been invited?"

"Not as a whole. Only a few of us have been formally invited by either the Pope or Cardinal Caterina."

"Well, you have been closely involved in quite a few cases." Sakura replied, resting her head on her hands.

"In any case, I have something for you." Astha said, dodging the compliment all together.

Sakura quirked an eyebrow.

* * *

"Viscountess, this is _far_ too generous." Sakura said.

"Nonsense." The blonde beauty replied.

"Duchess Kiev, I couldn't possibly…"

"I'm not giving you a choice."

"Lady Asran! Please, be reasonable!"

"Sakura," She sighed, "I have plenty of these. Please, take your pick and do it _quickly_ so we can have it tailored to suit you."

The last part of her statement carried the ring of the noblewoman she was. It had authority to it.

Sakura wanted to argue, and even opened her mouth to continue only to have Astharoshe snap, "Don't make me choose one for you."

Sakura signed resignedly and began to pick through the wardrobe. But it was hesitant enough that Astha eventually rose from her seat and began to rifle through the silk, taffeta, and velvet. She would select a dress, hold it against the kunoichi and either nod lightly as if it was a possibility or discard it outright. In the end, they wound up with no less than ten selections.

From there, the Methuselah female forced her to try on everyone until she finally came across one that pleased both of them.

"He's going to love this." The blonde remarked as she trailed her fingers along the fabric.

Sakura had long since stopped even pretending she didn't know who 'he' was.

* * *

Abel sighed to himself as he stepped into a shower, his first in several days. The hot water poured over his body, soaking his silver hair a darker gray and gathering in the rivets of his toned body.

Has he shampooed his hair, he wondered exactly what the night could hold…it could be a perfectly fine engagement, or a terror attack…

For a moment, he wondered why he was still an operative…

And then he remembered and that thought was enough to wash away the faintest stain of regret.

* * *

Sakura let the Duchess' maids work her over, no matter how uncomfortable she found it; though she did eventually work up the courage to ask Astha why she was going to such extremes.

"Does it matter?" She replied with an edge in her voice.

"I think so." The kunoichi replied as a curled lock of pink hair was pinned into place.

Astha waited a moment for her maids to complete their work before she dismissed them with a wave of her hand.

"You make my Tovarish happy." She replied, the edge sharpening ever so slightly.

"Why, Viscountess, I never would have pegged you for sentimentality." Sakura said honestly.

"Don't tell anyone." The Kiev Duchess dead-panned as she stepped out of the room.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Sakura replied to the empty air, sure the Methuselah's hearing was acute enough to catch the statement.

* * *

It was sometime shortly after lunch that the party began. Naturally, Abel was on scene a bit sooner than most of the other guests, for he had the dual duty of guard and guest. Likewise, other members of the AX were floating around…save for one…

He had just started to worry about her when she appeared through the mass of people swarming the ballroom.

His breath hitched in his throat…

He knew that dress rather well…it was something he had seen Astha in many times. But…it looked so much nicer on _her_. Astha looked imposing it that gown while _she_ looked…drop dead gorgeous; it was a black silk, overlaid with a metallic black taffeta that, somehow, did nothing to hinder the flow of the cloth beneath it. It had a low neckline, but not enough to be considered…promiscuous. It was slit up the right side to her thigh, and the edges of the hem were scalloped to flair them away from her legs. Her hair had been curled and pinned up in a complicated knot at the back of her head…her make-up was minimal, as usual, but very flattering…

He approached her first…

"If you keep looking this lovely, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself." He laughed gently.

Sakura returned the gesture with a knowing smile. "No problems, thus far, I take it?"

"None." He assured her.

"Perfect…but, Abel, in all seriousness…Something about this seems…off."

"I will admit it is odd. But I understand Caterina's reasons for doing it."

"Care to share?"

"Company morale _has_ been low lately…"

"True." She replied.

"And, with so much security, what could possibly go…"

Glass shattered, raining down from above as the lights were destroyed in one fell swoop.

"Just had to say something!" Sakura snapped more to the air than him as she leapt at the blur.

But before she could reach it, it already had the Pope in its possession and was through the destroyed stained glass windows. Sakura followed closely behind, bounding off of the tile floor. From the corner of her eye, she saw several members of the AX file through the doors.

'Why!? Why don't we have these events on _Iron Maiden_!?' Sakura thought to herself as she pushed herself through the window, glass cutting into her palm.

She spotted the Pope, still in the person's arms, as the vampire (assuming it was using Haste and not a human using Vatican tech) slid across the metal top of a train.

"Great!" She snorted to herself as she pushed off of the sill and dropped onto the train nearly three stories down. She adhered instantly with her chakra, but faltered and only just managed to catch herself by throwing herself down on her knee.

It was then that she noticed the space she had to work with was about to get a lot tighter…the train was approaching a tunnel.

Cursing, she flattened herself against the steel, the overhang of concrete inches from her head. But her enemy had been forced to do the same and was now only inching back. Whoever it was, however, was clearly having a hard time negotiating it, though, and were moving much more slowly than she was.

A moment later, the train roared through the tunnel and back into open air. Sakura righted herself quickly, pushing against her left knee and bringing her right up. It left her in a crouch, her gown caught between her thighs. But the wind rushing around her prevented her from rising fully. Even if she adhered to the surface with her chakra, the wind would shove her into a backbend or throw her so far off balance that to maintain the hold would snap a bone…likely in her spine.

But the Methuselah was having no problem holding himself upright. She didn't recognize him from any of her studies, but that was beside the point.

"Let him go!" She cried.

"Now why ever would I do that?" He smirked, sliding his nails treacherously across the Pope's throat.

"STOP!" She cried.

He droned in mock sympathy.

"_Don't_ force me into this corner." She finally snapped.

"What corner would that be?" He asked in mock sympathy.

Her eyes flashed dangerously and before he realized what was happening, her palm was pressed against the Pope's stomach and a chakra scalpel push into the Methuselah's chest.

"That corner." She hissed as he fell away, the Pope coming to rest in her arms.

The shock registered on his face for only a moment before his limp body was taken by the pressure of the air around them and knocked aside. The Pope, stunned by the intrusion of her chakra fell against her lightly. She had been careful to form the blade over the skin of his back, so he was unharmed, but the daze was enough to throw him for a moment.

The train, she realized, was coming to a halt…Her gaze trailed up, to Abel, who had managed to deactivate the system while she had been busy.

The Pope was quickly taken by his personal entourage for medical care, leaving Abel and Sakura behind as though they hadn't just single handedly saved him…oddly enough, she realized, considering the entire AX and Inquisition had been there.

"We really need to stop meeting like this." Abel said from beside her, pushing a stray strand of pink hair back behind her ear.

Sakura's lips pulled up despite herself. "I know."

He smiled as he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and tied it around her bleeding hand. His fingers curled ever so gently around them…and held for a moment too long…

And high above them through a curtain of broken and color-stained glass, Caterina knew what she had to do…

TBC


	23. Chapter 23

_**Chapter Twenty-three: Heartbreak**_

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood. _**

'God, forgive me,' Caterina thought as she rose from the floor of her quarters, her white-gloved hand trembling as it came across the doorknob, 'For what I have to do…'

* * *

Sakura teasingly flung a crumpled napkin at Abel, which he caught and set aside, smiling at her.

"You know, I've noticed that whenever you put on a gown, something happens." He said with mock-thoughtfulness.

"Sure, blame this on me!" She replied with equal playfulness.

"Oh, I do." He smiled, stirring his tea absently.

* * *

Caterina glanced at the happy pair from the hall overlooking the café on her way to her office. She hated herself for what she was about to do…it would tear two people apart and she alone could take responsibility. But…it was the only way she could think to do it…God, she hated herself.

She stepped away from the window, unable to take their innocent happiness any longer knowing all too soon what was going to happen…

* * *

"Silly." Sakura smiled, her head on her hands as she looked up at him.

"Sillier." He insisted.

"I hate to interrupt an intellectual conversation of such proportions, but Lady Caterina needs to see you, Abel." Kate said kindly as she appeared next to them.

"Dinner later?" He asked as he rose.

"I'll be here." Sakura assured him.

* * *

Caterina steeled herself as the door swung open, folding her trembling hands in her lap to hide them. Her eyes betrayed nothing as she motioned curtly for him to take a seat.

"Abel…I think you know what I'm going to say."

_His_ eyes betrayed his confusion.

"You are the only one that can defeat the Contra Mundi." She said.

His cerulean blue orbs hardened his body stiffening so tightly she knew the muscles had to ache. His voice had such an edge to it when he finally spoke that it stilled her heart for a fraction of a second.

"Caterina, what is this all about?"

"I'm sorry, Abel…"

"_Caterina_." He growled, demanding forthright answers.

"Abel, if you're still with her when this war begins…"

She didn't need to finish: she would be used as a pawn against him, something they could use to hurt him and weaken him. Like poison they would seep in through that failing of his…into the AX. And through her, they would divide them…

Abel's eyes were hidden behind a curtain of silver hair and for a moment she didn't know what he was thinking or how he was feeling.

"That's unfair, Caterina."

'I know.' She thought, but the words that spilled from her lips were much harder, "You would sacrifice _Lilith_ for this girl? Your _promise_ to me? To _humanity_?"

He looked up so intensely and suddenly she realized for the first time why Methuselah feared the Crusnik…would he turn his rage on her? And just as quickly the fire behind his eyes died back and he met her gaze with his own even stare. But she saw defeat already…she had won…

"This," He told her, "is the closest I've come to hating someone in nine hundred years." He told her before he stepped out of the room.

* * *

Sakura toyed nervously with her napkin outside of the restaurant, switching between it and the strand of pink hair against the curve of her neck. Her carefully pinned hair had already begun to spill from its knot, but she thought the haphazard look was more her anyway…But would he? Did he find that kind of thing attractive? Would he find her outfit attractive? It was unlike her to wear something that…formal wasn't the right word and neither was revealing. It was a black button down shirt, several of them undone to reveal a sliver of her chest. Her legs were wrapped in a black skirt, her feet clad in metallic red heels. Did guys like brightly colored shoes?

She shook her head to herself in amusement. What was she? A genin? No! She was a kunoichi! This was a date with someone who already had accepted her. What was there to be nervous about? Nothing!

She folded the napkin back over her lap, tucked the stray lock of hair behind her ear and lifted her glass to her lips. Over the rim of it, she saw Abel approach her. She smiled up at him…but he didn't even meet her eyes…

The pit of her stomach sank. Across from her, he took a seat, gave her a dry greeting, and put in his order. Shocked, she simply mumbled something to the waiter about chicken. He apparently understood, and jotted both down before disappearing back into the kitchen.

She reached across the table to take his hands, but he…he didn't flinch back, per say, but he did slide his hands back into his lap.

She attempted throughout the meal to coax him into conversation, but to no avail. Dinner was so awkward, she was almost glad when he suggested they simply pay and take a walk.

It wasn't until they were well into the Empire city on the deserted nocturnal streets that he finally stopped. Literally…he just stopped in the middle of the road, leaving her to do the same behind him. He stood with his back to her for a moment before turning around, his eyes cold and _angry_.

An icy shiver of fear ran through the pit of her stomach again. Had she done something?

"I think its best we don't operate together anymore."

"What?"

"Or see each other socially."

"Abel…what…what did I do?"

"You're young." He replied as though it was the most unattractive thing in the world.

"Abel...I…I mean…I thought I meant something…"

"You do…did."

He turned away from her as she hung her head, a curtain of pink hair spilling free from the clip and curving around her face. He glanced over his shoulder, worried about what he might do if they made actual eye contact. For a moment they stood in silence before she tilted her head towards him, a watery smile on her face made much sadder by the tears running opaquely down her face.

"Don't, Abel…"

"Father." He corrected.

She flinched, but didn't stop, "I can stand not being your lover. But please don't do _this_…don't make me wonder what I am."

"You were a mistake."

She waited for a moment, looking for confirmation in his eyes…but he wouldn't turn to look at her.

"Father Nightroad…I'm sorry…" She finally said, her head dropping again and her hair falling back over her face.

He didn't respond as he walked in the opposite direction. Above them, the clouds opened up and rain poured down.

Sakura listened to his footsteps fade and be replaced by the patter of rain. Her wet hair broke away from the pin and sheeted down her bangs, her shirt clung to her, the skirt dripped steadily and water shone on her shoes…

* * *

Abel turned the corner, his footsteps vague and faint on the cement even to him.

He turned his head up, water running down his face indistinguishably from the tears that flowed from his eyes…when it rained, you couldn't tell tears from the water the sky freely cried.

He hated not only himself, but Caterina…for forcing him into the corner she had…and he knew that she hated herself right now…

* * *

Sakura turned her head to the sky, letting the water wash away her make-up and undo the preparation that had gone into that night.

She turned on her heel slowly and began to walk through the rain-soaked streets.

* * *

"Lady Caterina, will you be taking tea in your office?" Kate asked, shimmering beside her in a compilation of lights.

"No, thank you, Sister. I'm not very hungry."

"Very well, M'Lady."

* * *

Sakura sat down in the gazebo, the white roses around her appearing sickly and pallid despite their health only hours later. Even the wood around her looked faded…

She leaned back against the wood cage around her, water still dripping onto her. A drop found its way against her cheek, mingling with a saline tear that dropped from her jaw a moment later.

"Sister?"

She looked up, wondering for a moment if she had imagined the voice. But she hadn't…

"Your Holiness." She replied, finding herself unable to muster the energy to stand and bow, rise, curtsey as best she could, and wait for him to sit before she did.

"Why are you out in the rain?" He asked, his voice cracking slightly…he was hitting puberty, she realized with little interest. It was a medical observation made out of habit…

"I just like it, I suppose." She lied lamely.

He didn't catch on, "But you'll get sick out here."

"Don't worry about me, Your Holiness. However, _you_ should consider getting back inside."

He smiled, taking a seat beside her. "But I like the rain, too."

It was a lie, she knew…he hated gloomy weather as much as someone as kind as he could hate. But it was said with such earnest…She actually believed him.

* * *

"You know I can't stay long."

Caterina nodded, averting her eyes from his.

"I'll stay as far from Rome and Albion. And from here."

Caterina nodded again. He would try to keep them safe…to keep the battle restricted to the less populated areas of the Empire and its borders. To not risk human or vampire lives…

He turned on his heel, his silver hair glistening in the pale and gloomy light. His hand came down on the doorknob of her office and was twisted…

"Abel, come home." She finally said as the door closed behind him.

And outside, the rain continued to fall.

TBC


	24. Chapter 24

_**Chapter Twenty-Four: Realization and Decision **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood! **_

_**Note: I actually got a few of the quotes on hope from, of all things, World War Z. Thanks, Max Brooks!**_

Sakura didn't bother rising from her bed for several days. She just wanted to lie there, and more than anything else, she didn't have the energy to. She really was alone now…there was no Sasuke, no Naruto, no Abel…and no comfort for her.

But, somehow, on the morning of the third day, she rose…there was nothing like complete immersion in hard work to make her forget…

She dressed as simply as he could manage, pulling her hair back away from her face before she left her room, her headband and her badge left on her unmade bed.

* * *

She found herself in the receiving atrium not long after…it had only just been restored and most of the city was still in ruins. But the Vatican was up and running and again trying to balance the world.

The Pope was there, receiving his visitors and assuring them that their concerns had been heard. And for a while, it was nice to just sit off to the sides and watch him, listen to the sound of his voice and see the fire behind his eyes rekindled.

She didn't know how much time passed before he was done, but the sun was already setting low in the west, bathing the marble in orange…and she realized she had spent the day in nothingness. But it was as pleasant a nothingness as she could hope for…

She rose on her feet, stepping up to him and laying her hand on his shoulder. He turned to her, startled for a moment before a smile crept across his face.

"That was really sweet of you." She said.

He looked up at her puzzlement.

"To greet all of them like that." She clarified.

"Thank you." He replied, his smile widening.

"Impudent whelp."

Sakura turned with annoyance on the voice, but it was a playful kind of annoyance, if such a thing existed.

"Brother Petro." She responded with a dip of her head.

"You have your own duties to attend to, Sister."

She just shrugged, turning away from him to smile again at the Pope.

"The foolishness of youth." Petro sighed pointedly.

Sakura rolled her eyes and very gently elbowed him in the chest. She heard the breath escape from his lips and she turned to see what happened. She had impacted with nearly enough force to do anything more than sting for a moment…and then she saw the red blossom from under his cotton shirt.

Horror washed over her and she reached up automatically, yanking the V-neck of his shirt down over his chest…

"You…" She hissed, realization slapping her sharply, "It was you…"

"Sister?" The Pope asked hesitantly, clasping his hands at his chest nervously.

Sakura couldn't stop herself: her hand came across her chest and pulled, the back of her fist colliding with a snap against his cheek. He tumbled back several feet, her hand clenching at her sides. That wound…the wound she had given the Pope's attacker four nights earlier…it had been him all along…and that meant…it had been a set-up the whole time…

"How could you?" She demanded.

His eyes met hers as he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and he didn't need to say anything else.

He had been following orders…

She turned on her heel and her footsteps faded down the corridor of marble and pillars.

* * *

The crack of wood was no surprise to Caterina…she had been expecting it. And, in fact, there was relief in the reality that she didn't have to wait and wonder about it anymore.

"You bitch." Sakura hissed, her hand coming down on the desk hard enough to splinter the shiny cherry veneer.

"I did what I had to." She replied calmly, her fingers wrapping around the handle of a tea cup.

Sakura lashed out, snapping the cup from her hand with a sharp back-hand that sent the porcelain flying across the room to shatter on the wall.

"You would do well not to assault me." Caterina responded.

Sakura's hands flew across the desk, wrapping around the red fabric at the blonde's throat and hauling her forward.

"Would you sacrifice him?!" Sakura screamed.

"I would do what it takes to protect the world."

"The world isn't his burden!" Sakura cried, tears running down her cheeks.

"It's the burden he took on when he made that promise he did."

"And what about your promise?" Sakura demanded.

Caterina blanched but responded evenly, "I had no choice."

Sakura threw her back in disgust as Tres entered the room, his gun leveled at her.

"Stand down." Caterina hissed to the android, who did as he was ordered.

Sakura, glaring at the cyborg, suddenly turned her lethal glare on the blonde woman.

"You always had a choice. And now I exercise my right to my own."

* * *

In the darkness of her room, she slipped black tunic over her chest. Pulling her shorts over her thighs, she cinched the buckles on her skirt. The shell of her boots came over her legs, and with three quick movements, she snapped the guards into place.

She pulled her hair free of its band, tying her red headband into place and flipping the hair out from under the collar of her shirt. Shaking her head to loosen the strands, she rose and turned to face the lightning-lit city.

Her window shone in the sudden flash, blinding her for a split second. Something glinted silver in her peripheral vision and her eyes turned to the badge. She leaned down over her unkempt bed, her fingers tracing the Latin engraved on the silver plate.

"To protect and serve…" She said to herself, the sound of her own voice alien to her.

And her fingers closed around the piece of metal and she disappeared from the room.

Her footsteps were steady, even as she came to the Vaclav, who seemed to be waiting for her.

"You can't stop me." She told him.

"We're not here to stop you." He assured her, smiling as several of the AX members appeared from behind the marble pillars.

"We're here to show you off." Kate told her.

"Show me off?"

"You're the only one who can bring him back, now." The Professor replied.

Sakura nodded, her footsteps echoing again as she passed by them, lightning flooding the open atrium.

It was at the end of the hall that she found the one person she least expected to find…

"What do you want?" Sakura snapped, stopping side long against her.

"We need him, Sakura…bring him home." Caterina said, never meeting her eyes. And likewise, Sakura never bothered to glance back at her.

"I plan to. But not for you." Sakura replied as she began to walk again. And she turned evenly at the end of the corridor and into the pouring rain.

TBC


	25. Chapter 25

_**Chapter Twenty-Five: Failing of a Weakened Heart**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Trinity Blood or Naruto! **_

Caterina's fingers closed around her cup, though the hot tea did nothing to soothe the ice in her heart. Everything felt cold and lonely to her now. And the rain pouring outside did nothing to ease the tension felt by the entire Vatican; though most, she knew, had no idea of the true severity of the situation.

She heard a knock at her door, and automatically replied for them to come in. It was a weak statement, completely out of place for the Duchess of Milan, the Iron Woman.

To her immense relief, it was Vaclav. He was her sanctuary so often…She felt pent up emotion break through the dam of her regal composure.

"Vaclav…" She trailed off, pushing the cup aside.

"May I sit?" He asked.

She nodded, moisture glistening on her blue eyes. He smiled a little too gently as he slid into the seat and reached across the desk and took her hand in his.

She looked into his chocolate brown eyes, feeling more tears gather in her own. He was so kind and gentle…the only man she had allowed to see her cry in more than ten years.

"Caterina…you know we have to talk." He began tenderly, caressing her hand soothingly beneath his, and she realized for the first time, he wasn't wearing his usual gloves. To her surprise, the flesh there was smooth and warm, unlike the fake skin and muscle that covered his torso to hide the mechanized pieces that composed him.

"Yes…" She trailed off, waiting for him to continue.

"Why did you send Abel away?" He asked.

Caterina's hand pulled away ever so slightly, she just couldn't help it.

"You know why. I did what I had to."

"Don't lie to me, Caterina. Not to me." He responded so quietly, so tenderly…

She swallowed hard against the sudden metallic taste in her mouth.

"What do you want me to say, Vaclav?" She asked more harshly than she intended.

"The truth." He replied mildly.

"It's not like that." She hissed, knowing he was closer to the truth than she liked.

"If it wasn't, then you never would have come down to the hall. Only guilt would drive you there, Caterina."

She was tempted to lash out, to demand he address her formally, to tell him to get out, anything to stop him…

"Vaclav…"

"Don't be afraid to admit you're wrong, Caterina. It only means you're stronger today than you were yesterday, and wiser for having made that mistake." He told her.

"What do you want me to say?" She asked again.

"I want you to admit to yourself, Caterina, that this wasn't about the world, or politics, or any of the other façade you might hide your heart behind."

She felt herself break wide open…

"I love him…Vaclav…" She trailed off.

"I know.' He replied, pain marring his own voice.

"He…he's protected me…"

"You have to let go, Caterina…" He told her.

"He's all I have."

Vaclav's head lilted up, his damp eyes meeting hers. "You have me."

Caterina's laugh was dry and resigned. And when she finally spoke, the words were weak and ill, "How could I have been so blind?"

"You're not blind…you just needed someone to turn on the light."

For a long moment, they sat in silence, and only the thunder outside rumbled enough to make a sound.

"How will He forgive me…?"

"God? He already has, Caterina. You know that. And Abel's heart is far from hard. If he ever slighted you for it, I know that now he has since repented."

"We held him at such a high standard…"

"Held?" Vaclav asked, "Don't suffer the living to die in your words, Caterina."

"But…it's already too late."

"No, it's never too late. We can make this right."

"This isn't your mistake to undo."

"Regardless, I stand beside you."

Her ruby lips pulled up in a smile and she tightened her fingers around his.

"Then we don't have much time to spare."

Vaclav nodded, "The hour is late, but not yet passed."

TBC


	26. Chapter 26

_**Chapter Twenty-Six: Original Sin**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood! **_

This was the last thing Abel had expected…over the millennia that seemed to be slipping past him and the sin that hung heavily between them…he never even dreamed this was how the end would begin.

The quite betrayed the invisible crackle of energy the pulsed between them…the crowd shifting between the two them.

"Ah, dear Brother…" Cain began with his sick smile, tilting his white hat upwards.

"Blood does not equate brotherhood." Abel replied, strands of silver hair dancing across his slender face.

Cain's smirk widened, his hand coming across the brim of his hat as he tossed it aside.

"Shall we settle this?" Cain asked.

"I've waited nine hundred years to settle this." Abel responded.

And the fires of heaven and hell broke loose between them, and time slowed as the chaos erupted.

Lightning and flames collided in a mass of color and energy that sent shockwaves across the city so powerful and violent that the glass of the windows shattered.

They launched themselves backwards, seeking to escape the inevitable explosion that threw debris into the air. Their wings snapped simultaneously, both of their bodies floating upwards into the dirty and heavily veiled air.

"Only one of us can win this."

Cain smirked, "And we both know who it's going to be."

A primal cry tore through Abel's throat, his scythe coming down as Cain thrust his lance forward.

The blast sent both of them tumbling through the air before they managed to right themselves. Abel's eyes shone radiant and lethal red as the nanomachines in his blood kicked forward to the next level.

He blurred towards the blond monster, materializing behind him and dropping the blade of his scythe.

Cain's lips pulled up as he shifted, and Abel felt the tip of his lance bury itself behind his shoulder blades. He spun, using the curve of his scythe to lever the red weapon away just as a blast of red light beamed from it.

Cain's hand came towards him and Abel barely managed to twist out of the way of the invisible and highly destructive force that buried itself in a building not far below them.

He spun the scythe back around, turning on his center of gravity and rotating the blade of his weapon down towards Cain's abdomen. The deceptively angelic Crusnik raised his hand, a blast of destructive energy rushing forth from his palm. It was all Abel could do to keep his position in the air, the invisible blade-like waves tearing into his ebony wings. His blood spattered against the stone behind him, and just as quickly was washed away by the torrential rain.

Abel hissed, crimson dripping down the mangled feathers of his wings.

"Lilith would be disappointed." Cain smirked.

Abel felt his mind falter as the microscopic machines leveled towards ninety percent. But that was walking a line between insanity and cognition. His body wasn't ready for that kind of kick. And, with great effort, he suppressed them and forced him body down into the eightieth percentile again.

"_Don't you dare use her name, traitor_."

"And will you, Abel, _Baby _Brother, stop me?" Cain smirked, purring the words.

Abel cried out, a web of electricity springing towards Crusnik 01. But with equal control, Cain pushed it back, letting the blue light dissipate from around them.

"I will stop you." Abel stated, his voice so faint it was a mere whisper. But it was strong enough for Cain's ears to find it.

His laugh was icy, insane, and carried none of the childish innocence that might have stayed Abel's hand.

"You can't, Brother. You're too weak." Cain replied.

Abel never saw him move, only felt his palm press against his back, and felt the sudden tear of flesh. Color bloomed in brilliant splatters across his vision, white stars against the black clouds of the sky. He felt his body impact against the cold ground, felt himself tumble along the dirt until coming to a painful stop.

But it was so…_far away_. He knew it was his body, but he wasn't the one hurting…it was disconnected. Death was coming, he knew, and he didn't care. And somewhere deep in his mind, he curled up against that inevitability. And there was comfort there…the realization it was finally _over_. He didn't allow himself to think of anything but the sweet release death would bring him…

Cain appeared in front of him, smiling…it wasn't a smirk; which made the scene all that much more…distant, unreal…

"You were too weak. Good-bye, Brother." Cain told him gently as he raised his lance.

And Abel's eyes refused to close…and he watched as a swath of lightning filled the sky and blinding him…and he saw a silver blur race between him and Cain and heard the distinct thud of metal against the compact ground.

"Touch him and I'll kill you."

Their red eyes flickered automatically to the roof top. Sakura's green eyes leveled against Cain's as she rose from her crouch, another dagger closed in her hands. Against the black sky, the raindrops rolling off of her formed a silver halo…it wasn't real, he thought. It couldn't be…But it was…

"Big words from such a tiny creature." Cain smirked.

"Big things come in small packages." She replied, flipping the kunai absently as she sighted her target.

"Sakura!" Abel cried, "Get out of here!"

Sakura's eyes fell to his for a fraction of a second. And she smiled sadly, shaking her head gently…and then her eyes snapped back up, green fire set in pale opal that found Cain's.

The dagger came down in her hands and she snapped it at Cain.

He caught it easily on the side of his lance, only to find the kunoichi bearing down on him rapidly. Launching herself from the roof, she came down on top of him. He smirked, catching her left leg with the side of the lance tip.

"Strong, aren't you?" He asked as the ground beneath him fractured with the impact, though he didn't budge an inch. She found her balance on the rod easily, eyeing him angrily as she suddenly planted her hands on the shaft of the weapon and spun her foot into his cheek.

He slid back a few feet, and the collision vaguely discolored the ivory skin of his cheek as she landed against the muddying ground.

She descended on him again, striking out with her fist. But to her horror, he caught her wrist and hauled her off of her feet. The jerk was so sudden and powerful, for a moment she could just glare at him. And then instinct kicked in. The kunoichi, using _his_ own strength for leverage, snapped a high kick to the underside of his jaw that forced his head up, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. But he didn't release her…

He smiled at her, tossing her aside similarly to his hat not more than ten minutes earlier. The force sent her right through a concrete wall and into the remnants of someone's living room.

"Sakura!" Abel cried.

"I'll deal with you in a moment." Cain told him as he stepped toward the hole in the wall.

And just as quickly, he was sent sprawling from the debris. Sakura planted her hands on the destroyed dry wall and hauled herself up again. She glanced nervously down at her knuckles, where the skin had been eaten away by the force of the chakra she had had to muster…and he had barely sprawled…

Cain, having already righted himself, smirked again at her…but this grin carried more malicious than usual. She was making him angry…a feat for someone who was so eerily calm.

She didn't even see him move, and neither did Abel, before he was behind her, his hand on the small of her back. Sakura twisted instinctively, his hand gliding across her stomach as the blast issued from his palm. It caught her only barely, and even then rendered the fabric of her skirt and outer layers of skin to nothing as she was sent flying the length of several city blocks.

Abel saw her impact, and saw her arm snap beneath her own weight. But she was back up and on her feet so quickly, he could scarcely believe it.

But he already saw the flash of realization pass over her face that meant she had already come to the conclusion that she couldn't win this fight. And, truth be told, she was incredibly out of her depth…

He saw Sakura throw a punch, and watched as Cain swatted her wrist away easily and back-handed her hard enough to sent her sprawling. She gained her footing, stood up, wiping blood away from her lips, and launched another punch.

He saw her throw a punch and saw Cain blur. He saw the shock glide across her face as she met with nothingness, heard his own voice tear from his throat, saw her turn to him, saw her feel Cain materialize behind her, and then all was red light and blood against the stone.

He saw her body fly across the open air, tossed like a rag doll into infinity, and heard her impact against the stone with the snap of bone…his eyes fell on her even as he felt Cain manifest beside him, he turned back, cerulean orbs leveling against glowing red ones as the lance was again lifted to end his life.

He closed his eyes…he deserved this. This was his punishment all along…

There was a warm spatter of blood, and for a moment he wondered if he had simply been plunged into eternity so quickly he hadn't felt the pain…and then he realized the shadow that had fallen across him was not Cain's, but Sakura's.

Her hand, glowing vibrant green against the gray of the background and the sudden rush of color from Cain…the first Crusnik cried out, tumbling back as Sakura fell limply against Abel.

"You will pay dearly for this, Brother!" He hissed as, with a flap of his deceptively white wings, he lifted himself into the air and through the gray and weeping clouds.

"Sakura!" Abel cried, trying to support her entirely too weak form.

Her blank eyes started into his with a glassy stillness…

* * *

There was a distant memory of the roar of too-late blades cutting the air high above them, and the distinct being of Kate, the old mechanized automony of Tres…but nothing definite, nothing concrete. He never really knew what happened in the span of time that slipped by him so quickly…

And when he finally woke up from the coma he seemed to have thrust himself into, he found her on the sterile white of a hospital cot, lines running to and from her, and the Professor standing opposite her. His numb hand was wrapped around her pale fingers…

"Professor…" He trailed off.

The human male did not need to ask for clarification, "Her liver and spleen have ruptured. Her lungs are filling with blood. Her heart is badly lacerate and bruised. Her ribcage doesn't really exist anymore; those shards of bone are cutting into her kidneys, intestines, and diaphragm. The arteries in her chest and arm are completely severed…"

"And?" Abel asked.

The Professor sighed sadly before replying, "It's not a matter of _if_, Abel, it's a matter of _when_."

"Can you do nothing?" He asked, feeling less impassioned than he thought he should be…because he already knew the answer.

"There is one thing…"

His eyes flickered up to Caterina's where she stood in the doorway, but she averted her own so quickly…

He waited, and those few seconds dragged into eternity…

"The nanomachines…" She finally said, glaring pointedly at him.

Abel stood up so rapidly the chair behind him fell backwards with a clatter. Shock filtered through his blue eyes, his body tightening.

"And subject her to the insanity eating Cain?" He demanded.

"There is a risk, I won't lie, Father Nightroad. But there is one significant difference: the Bacillus in her blood." The Professor replied.

"What do you mean?" the Crusnik asked, coiling further.

"She won't assimilate fully immediately. Her body will have time to adapt." Caterina replied, stepping into the room and standing at the edge of the bed.

"And there is no other way?" He finally asked after what seemed like an eternity of silence.

"Only death." Caterina replied.

Abel glanced at her all too pale face, brushing aside a strand of loose pink hair.

"I need time…"

"You don't have much." The Professor told him, though Caterina hushed him and shooed him out through the door. But as she closed it behind them, she muttered, "Please, Abel, choose quickly…"

He laced his fingers through hers, hoping against hope she might respond…but there was nothing but cool, lifeless wax beneath his hands.

His fingers trailed across her lips, feeling the cracked skin of them, once so soft…

And suddenly he felt the slightest pressure on his hand, the smallest sign of hope…She had heard him…heard him when there were no words to hear…

"Then what are we waiting for?" The silver-haired man asked.

He quickly found himself hooked directly to her through a filter, his blood pushed back into his body via a separate line while the nanomachines were pumped into hers. It would be a few hours, he was told, before they could risk moving him away from her…assuming the procedure worked at all. So they left with the unspoken statement hanging around him…if he needed to say good-bye, this was his only chance.

For a long time, he just lay in silence, staring up at the white ceiling. But when he finally braved a glance at her, he realized he wouldn't be able to take his eyes off of her…

"I hope God forgives me if this proves to be the wrong path, but I would risk His wrath and that of all of his angels if you forgive me…"

She didn't respond, of course, so he continued to speak to the dead air between them.

"If this is the wrong choice, I promise, I'll be the one to correct it. You will be my responsibility, just as Cain is. And I promise I won't let you suffer the way he has."

For another long moment, silence took the place of his words. He reached across the emptiness between them, letting his fingers trail down her cool cheek and into the silky fringe of her pink hair.

"Please, God, don't take her from me…"

He meant it…to lose her to death or insanity…either would be unbearable. He had already lost so much…he didn't think he could take another blow like that.

The hours passed by too quickly, and the moment the line was pulled from his body and the puncture in her arm sealed, he stood, swinging his legs over the bed and planting his feet on the ground.

"Where are you going?" The Professor asked.

"I have unfinished business to deal with tonight." He replied sharply, his eyes burning as he turned and walked down the hall.

TBC


	27. Chapter 27

_**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Fusion Point; Reaction Hold**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood!**_

Abel's silver hair hung in a curtain around his narrow face, his blue eyes hard. His hand drifted to the void at his hip, where his rosary had once dangled. But all that he gathered in his slender fingers was the intricately beaded chain. He sighed, centering his mind, his body, his spirit…forcing all of it into a small and carefully maintained box. Nothing existed aside from the fight that still lay ahead of him…nothing—not his past, not the present, not the possible future. His body wasn't his…it was just something distant…something far away, something that couldn't hurt him…And his mind…that was long gone, long…_suppressed_ beneath the primal instinct coursing through him: There was him, something far and distant that he barely even recognized, and there was Cain…

His anathema.

And somewhere in between, they would clash. And that was all there was too it…and for him, failure was not an option.

The wind around him picked up suddenly, pushing his hair across his face. And for a moment he believed he heard something in that wind, a faint voice that matched an equally delicate fragrance. The corner of his lips pulled up despite himself, and he saw Lilith flash before his eyes…

But, it wasn't her voice, wasn't her fragrance that hung with him…No, she had freed him, he realized. She had let him let go. And so much more importantly, it seemed suddenly as if the burden of his abilities, of his oath---that he very much knew the consequences of---as if every weight pressing down so viciously on him was _gone_.

His blazing eyes, pale sapphires held to the fire of his will, leveled on the darker blue orbs that suddenly found his.

"There you are." He hissed to his brother.

"We will forever be the tide and the waves, Brother. And just as the oceans must bend to the will of the moon, you will bend to mine." Cain replied.

"We shall see. God helps those who help themselves. Amen." He responded beneath his breath.

A curtain of red washed over him, a veil of crimson that dropped into his gaze and the thirst of a predator that fell of him. This would end…tonight. Beneath the moonless sky and the stars that failed to shine…in their own abysmal darkness; in the hell they had created for themselves.

* * *

Caterina looked out of the sky that was all too suddenly black and lethal. It had already begun, she knew…and the fate of the world rested in the hands of one man…

* * *

Abel's claws sank into Cain's shoulder, electricity plunging into the Crusnik's body. But the backlash that Cain mustered was more than enough to send him flying across the vast expanse of air that was a gap of nonexistent substance. He righted himself, automatically bringing his scythe up to defend against the impending blow of Cain's lance.

The crack between the two weapons was thunderous, cracking the earth so far down below them into sharp fragments. Lightning snapped amid the chaos that resulted from their clash.

They were moving so fast, he knew, that human eyes wouldn't even register them, and the landscape around them had long since become nothing more than a colored blur even to their eyes.

This couldn't last, Abel realized…He jacked the machines in his body to the next level, forcing them into the eightieth percentile.

Cain smirked at him, a chortle of insanity coming from his throat as he purred, "Forty Percent. Activate."

Abel wanted to lie down and die right there. Even at Cain's worst, he was better than Abel's best…at his weakest he was still stronger, faster, more strategic…There was nothing that Abel could do…it was over…the world had slid away from him just like that. And…was he relieved? He wondered if that was just the feeling he fell back on to avoid feeling the crushing defeat that he knew damned the world.

His hand slid to the rosary resting against his chest, to the solid and warm piece of silver that twined around multiple stones of rose and white opal and along the simple chain of ribbon and braided metal. Her scent, musky and warm, drifted from it. He could almost feel her hand on his shoulder…the tender press of her lips on the back of his hand.

"Do you miss her, Brother?" Cain asked, glancing at the trail of his hand.

Abel didn't respond.

"Tired already, Brother?" He smirked, laying a hand on his shoulder, replacing the warmth on his skin with an icy chill.

Abel couldn't help but bobble his head in confirmation.

"Soon, dear Brother, I will let you rest forever."

How sweet those words were even coming from his serpent's tongue. Honey from a poisonous flower, bitter ambrosia. But….but there was such overwhelming relief. It was over…he had lost. He had lost, and the world would burn, and all would fall and be destroyed by the flames of destruction. There would be no rebirth from the ashes. But…it was _over_.

He was tired. The Millennia had dragged on into eternity, and though his body was young, he felt old. Old and_ so _tired. And there was little left inside of his chest…just the hollow where his young and fiery heart had once pulsed. But that was so long ago…another life time ago.

He wanted death. Absolution before his Creator awaited him at the end of that long and arduous path. He had sinned, but he had worked to redeem himself…and…even hellfire seemed a happy alternative to the continual war, public and private, that he could see no end to. Life stretched out unbearably before him…and Cain…Cain could take it all away.

He felt a moment of irrational and even insane affection for his older brother, who had been his savior when they were still so young. He would protect him, free him from his body. Release his soul from the prison of flesh and blood that tormented him, from the mind that never truly let him rest…

"Don't worry, Brother, it will all be over soon." Cain purred soothingly even as the shadow of his lance fell across Abel.

Abel turned his head up, letting the glory of the moment wash over him. It was almost passionate…the complete and utter realization that he was never going to be strong enough. And that God had given him an out. If…if there was no chance of victory, at the very least his death was _his_ choice…maybe the only real choice he had ever been given.

'Monster!'

That was Esther's cry…her condemnation of him…the vocalization of what he really was. And in his mind he saw the terrified cobalt blue eyes of the red-head stare up at him in unadulterated horror.

'What is _it_?'

That was what the little girl from the Mars Colony had asked…had sneered after glancing at the experimental wounds on his body…at the IV punctures and the still healing scalpel lacerations and electrical burns…

'Demon.'

Yes…that was what the Methuselah called him…and did he expect less? No…he was the creature of their nightmares as surely as they were the shadows of terror in the minds of Terrans…

'You're beautiful, Abel.'

His eyes snapped open, and even still they saw only her emerald green eyes stare into his, her lips curve to form the words that he least expected and so longed for.

In that moment, the world shifted…he felt something inside of him…_evolve_. The change was so radical, so…_right_ he didn't know what to make of it. And then he peered down at the skin of his hand, now ebony and laced with electric blue scars…

He heard the words slip from his lips, though the body uttering them hardly seemed his now. It was so far away, but so close and so connected…

"Crusnik 02. Nanomachine. Power Output: One Hundred Percent. Activate."

Power surged through him, power so great that for a moment he felt surely his body couldn't contain it…but it did. It did more than contain it…it _harnessed_ that surge…harnessed it and made it his to wield.

He lashed out without even having to think about it. Instinct took him, a net of electricity slamming against Cain with enough force to send him flying back, his lance thrown aside by the force of the impact.

"Only one can win tonight, Cain. And we both know who it will be."

His voice was strangely alien to him, but everything was such a paradox of time and proximity that everything seemed at the same time warped and perfect. It was all so _clear_. There was no room for uncertainty or apprehension. There was only the certainty of what he needed to do.

He raised his scythe, and with a thrill of adrenaline, he realized he was moving beyond Cain's capacity to match in speed.

The blade of his weapon came down, slicing heavily through sinew, bone, and flesh and sinking deep into the Crusnik's chest. Blood sprayed against him, red and warm and sure. There was no denying the wound that rendered Cain nearly in half down his wicked middle and tore into his polluted heart.

"I will free you, Cain." Abel hissed, his tongue lapping over his fangs.

Cain cried out, lashing out with a wave of destructive energy from his palm. But…even though it washed directly over Abel, it was as inconsequential as the wind breaking across a cliff. The mountain did not bow to the wind, but the wind parted for the mountain…just as Cain's flesh had parted for his scythe.

His nails bit into the gaping wound that shredded his brother into no less than three pieces that hung by threads of flesh and cloth. The sound as he pulled away was sickening and thrilling.

Abel was claiming the world back---a world in which fire would not destroy, but through which the Phoenix would rise. There was true hope for the world, hope for peace between the races and hope for a better tomorrow. But for the whole to heal, the cancer had to be burned away.

That's all it was…a medical cleansing of the body of the Earth. Because to think of it as anything less or more would tear him apart, destroy his mind and consume his sanity…He would have time, later, to come to terms with it, time…

What a glorious word…what a wondrous concept. Eternity was literally his to grasp. His place was cemented in his mind and in the world…he would defend them.

"What are you?!" Cain cried.

"Some_one_," Abel responded evenly as he raised his scythe for the final time, "Who has come to save the lives of humans."

* * *

Abel stumbled across the destroyed forest, hardly believing what had happened. But there was no denying it. He sighed, collapsing back against a bed of compacted pine needles.

He rotated his head to the side, took in their order; marveled at the fresh scent that remained even after that battle that had taken place above it…life always found a way, he realized.

Abel turned his face skyward again, letting his hair fall in a halo around him. A tattered black ribbon trailed from a broken branch not far off, reminding him that although they couldn't go back, they could move forward now.

And through the fading darkness, he saw a sliver of moonlight filter through the evanescent clouds. The elusive stars sparkled behind the fading veil of black.

God was there, Abel knew, in every insect that now buzzed around him, in the musky smell of the earth and the light filtering from the heavens above. God was there.

* * *

Sakura's hand contracted spasmodically around the cross in her hands, she moaned something unintelligible and her eyes slowly flickered open. For a moment, she didn't seem to know where she was…and then she sat up with a strength he would have thought for sure she lacked so soon after the transfusion.

"Sakura…can you hear me?"

She turned to his voice, and he felt his heart drop…she didn't seem to recognize him, or her surroundings…

"Abel?" She groaned, shielding her eyes from the lighting with her hand, his rosary dropping into her lap.

"I know it's confusing, but you'll get used to it." Abel told her, knowing full well the sharpness which with she was seeing the world around her. His hand came across her eyes, gently shielding them from the light that he knew was painful at first.

Her hand reflexively came up over his, her slender fingers curling weakly around his palm.

"I dreamt about you." She whispered.

He paused before replying, "Good dreams?"

"No…I dreamt you were gone…"

He felt her hot tears soak into his glove.

"I'm here." He assured her.

"I missed you."

"And I missed you." He replied.

"Abel…"

He felt his own throat clog with emotion as her tears saturated the cloth around his hand and fell from her bloodless cheeks.

"You came." She said simply.

"Always."

TBC


	28. Chapter 28

_**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Cycle Back**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Trinity Blood or Naruto!**_

"The sunlight is going to be quite strong." Abel told her for what felt like the umpteenth time.

"I know, Abel. Can we just get it over with?" She replied.

He hesitated, but nodded. She saw him briefly draw his lower lip through his teeth…something she had never seen him do before. It almost made her nervous…

"Are you sure?" He asked, his hands hovering on the curtains.

"Yes, Abel!" She cried in exasperation.

He pulled the velvet aside and instantly she regretted it. Light flooded her vision so intensely the pain overrode any other sensation. She steadied her all too rapid breath, gently pulling her hand away from her eyes, little by little, until she could see without the agony of its intrusion.

"Abel…how long will this last?" She finally asked.

"A few weeks." He replied.

"A few weeks!" She cried out.

"Yes. And all of your senses will be similarly heightened."

"Abel…this is…how do you live with this?!" She finally asked.

He smiled as he pulled the curtain back down, "I think you just get used to it."

Sakura swallowed hard, forcing her vision to correct before she slid off of the bed and onto her feet. She stretched briefly, finding her muscles again and remembering how to hold her weight on her legs. But even if she was hesitant, her body just seemed to _know_.

"Abel…I really want to get back into the field." She finally stated.

The priest opened his mouth but the voice that reached Sakura's ears was decisively feminine. She turned to see Caterina standing in the doorway.

There was no way to describe the mixture of emotions that rose up in the kunoichi: anger, relief, sorrow, hatred, frustration, love…

"That's not a bad idea, Sister." She repeated, as though she wasn't sure they had heard her.

She closed the door behind her, her blue eyes coming to rest on them.

"Let me begin my apologizing to you two. I was wrong."

It took Sakura a moment to realize what a difficult position she was in…she didn't really have the chance to be wrong, and when she did she most certainly didn't have the opportunity to apologize and make it right. And Sakura couldn't help but forgive her and find a sudden release in the vacuum that sucked away her initial rage.

And just as quickly Caterina fell back into the iron shell that the world knew.

"There has been a rash of murders along the borders of the Empire. If it weren't for a reason victory against the Order of Rozenkruez, we can't simply attribute this to senseless violence. I want you two down there to investigate."

"And when do we leave?" Sakura asked.

"In an hour." Caterina replied with a playful smirk as she held up two tickets.

* * *

"Here. These will make it a bit easier." Abel said as she slid a pair of glasses over the bridge of her nose.

He was right, she realized before she could protest. It did make it easier. A _lot_ easier. The dark tint of the glasses caught and reflected most of the painful glare, and they limited her peripheral vision; which had been giving her heart palpitations left and right with how much it detected. Everything seemed so much closer…and more dangerous, as a result.

"And wear some gloves." He added.

She nodded; he didn't need to remind her of that one. She was grateful for any barrier between her and her surroundings. Her sense of touch was so sensitive it hurt to pick up cold silverware. But, according to Abel, she would adjust in due time.

* * *

The noise on the train station was overwhelming. It seemed like she could hear things for miles around, and had to twine her fingers so hard against each other that her nails drew blood from her palms to keep from clapping her hands over her ears.

She didn't even really register Abel's arm coming over her shoulders as he pulled her close, using his body against some of the noise.

"I'm here." He mouthed to her as he led her onto the train and as far back from the jammed platform as he could.

She slumped in the first seat available.

"Abel…maybe I wasn't ready to be back in the field." She admitted, glancing down at her hands, where small crescent-shaped wounds wept watery blood.

"Nonsense. This is good for you. And it's not likely to be a dangerous mission. Better to start small than not at all." He smiled as he traced his hand along the wounds, picking up the crimson tendrils with his glove.

She shivered at his touch. It was just so _intense_. And she knew he was pressing at lightly as possible…

And just as quickly he pulled away and she found herself groping for sensation again. It took her a moment to pull herself out of the sudden depravation of feeling.

"That was...scary…"

"Your neurons and synapses are rearranging themselves. Gaps in sensory perception and moments of highly intense sensitivity aren't uncommon." He replied.

"And…that gets better, right?"

"Oh, yes!" He assured her.

And the train began to pull forward.

* * *

It was sometime well after midnight that she woke up in a cold sweat. It took her a moment to remember where she was and why, and another long minute to regain her sense of time and balance. She let herself adjust to the pull and ebb of the train before she stood up and slipped out into the hall.

It was quiet…and dark. Which was a little eerie given her elevated senses…But it was also kind of nice to not feel the panic that accompanied the overwhelming deluge of information for her mind to process that came in waves; and the horror of feeling _nothing_ a moment later…She imagined that was what death was like…panic, a wave of sensation, and then nothingness…emptiness…the void…

She realized with a start that her breath was coming in hard pants and quickly forced her breathing back down. She leaned lightly against the metal wall, afraid her senses would find her suddenly and overwhelm her in the hall.

She wiped away the icy slick away from her pale pink hair, trying to clear her vision and halt the chill that seemed to be creeping up her spine.

She glanced down the hall, only to find it suddenly…_warping_. It was twisting…turning in on itself and losing its shape. Color blurred and faded and mixed…Shape and hue lost all definition…

It seemed to be tunneling towards her, condensing into nothing short of a black abyss. She stepped back, tripping up on the rich red carpet behind her. She stumbled, colliding against one of the seats. She hardly felt the blow, knowing that later she might and somewhere in the back of her mind there was dread for that…but it was completely overshadowed by the horror in front of her face.

She felt a hand come across her shoulder and nearly screamed before she realized how familiar it was. She sprung back on her heel, pivoting hard and burying her face against Abel's chest.

"Abel." She sighed in relief, pressing herself flush against him.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

She shook her head, refusing to respond. She had to be going crazy, she reasoned. And she didn't want him to know that.

"Sakura, tell me what happened."

She drew her bottom lip through her teeth before responding, "I thought the train was collapsing on me."

He glanced up, seeing nothing. But he already knew he wouldn't.

"I think you just experience a moment of perception too intense for you. So your brain shut down as a defense mechanism." He explained, "I had the same thing happen to me on more than one occasion."

"So…I'm not going crazy?"

"Not at all."

It felt like the next breath of air she took in was her first. The relief was so acute it was almost its own kind of hurt.

"You're tired, Sakura. You need to rest more. Sleep makes this whole thing much easier. And we're still several days from the border. You have time." He told her, knowing that her neurons and synapses suffered the least trauma if most of the configurations were done while she was asleep, as they would occur in nature under more normal circumstances.

She nodded as he slipped back into the compartment, holding her close. She heard the door slide back and latch and a moment later he had laid her down on the leather seats. He sat opposite of her, glancing at her as she lifted her head.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Do you think…you could lay over here with me?"

He hesitated for a moment: he could bump her in the middle of the night, and with her senses on the skew, he could inflict an agonizing amount of pain on her without ever so much as bruising the skin. But he weighed that with the lonely, lost look in her eyes and in the end he simple couldn't refuse.

"Of course." He replied as he stood up, stepped across the narrow lane, and slid in behind her. He wrapped on arm loosely around her waist, using his other arm as a pillow. She curled up against him, fitting perfectly against the delicate S-curve of his body. He adjusted his jacket around both of them, covering her slight frame with the heavy fabric.

He hadn't even finished that small task before she had drifted off.

* * *

The dark, heavy fabric of the velvet curtains around the window blocked all but a miniscule column of daylight from their cabin. And based on the color and texture of that ray, he deduced it was around six in the morning. The thin line of light was soft and hazy…the sun was only just starting to cut through the fog of the chilly morning, he realized. But with the thick cloud cover, even that small bar of white would soon fade back behind the thick gray veil.

He lifted his head to glance around the curtain and, sure enough, he had been right.

He smiled. That was good; without the blaring sunshine she might actually stay down and rest. And the more she slept the better, at least for the first week or two. After that she was free to be as active, within reason, as she desired.

He looked down at her, glossing over the silky pink hair that curled temptingly against her pale skin. Her lashes stood out against the vaguely opalescent, a dark fringe beneath slender arches of rose. Her lithe limbs curled around her toned body…but his eyes still caught the pearly marks along her arms and the sliver of her bared stomach.

The still-fading scars of her fight with Cain…

His fingertips traced along them, the lightest touch he could manage. Even with her heightened perception, she wouldn't have been able to feel it. But he could feel every ridge and dip in the healing scar tissue.

He felt his features harden despite himself. These marks…these were…these were the proof of his failure. But just as quickly he felt his muscles slacken again with the relief that he had defeated Cain. He no longer had that burden, that _weight_ on his shoulders.

His pale blue, wintry gaze turned back to her. She was a reminder of his failures, but so much more importantly, she was the promise of a future. She was her own time whorl, her own spiral of eternity.

She turned over in her slumber, a sleepy moan escaping her parted lips. He smiled, shrugging out of his jacket and laying it across her shoulders. She curled up instinctively, seeking the latent heat of his body that still radiated from the cloth.

He stood up so smoothly that the lurch of the train completely disguised the movement and in another clean stride he had entered the hall and disappeared down the corridor.

* * *

Sakura's eyes fluttered open and flickered down as Abel stepped into the compartment. She smiled, sitting up slowly and pulling the jacket over her lap.

"Hi there." She smiled.

He smiled sitting down next to her and balancing a tray on his lap.

"I brought you some breakfast." He told her as he stirred a sugar cube into a cup of tea. It was only lukewarm, for her own comfort, and liquids would be easiest on her stomach.

She took the cup from him, letting the bottom of the porcelain rest in her lap.

He smiled at her, tucking a lock pink hair behind her ear as he leaned in a planted a chaste kiss on her cheek.

The next few days passed in a similar manner. Mostly, she slept and recuperated and he watched over her. But somehow, between that rift that her need for rest created and the divide his still settling mind was attempting to reconcile, they found each other again.

TBC


	29. Chapter 29

_**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Generation Fallen Angel**_

_**Disclaimer: First of all, the title isn't mine. It comes from the title of another fanfiction I loved called "Generation: Crusnik". Serious props to author of said epicness! And, secondly and most depressing *watery eyes* Trinity Blood and Naruto…*struggles to finish* aren't mine. **_

Sakura stepped off of the train, feeling like herself for the first time in nearly a week. It was hard, though, to think back and realize that in such a short span of time the Overlord of the Orden had been defeated, she had had her life extended into eternity, and her lover was safely back at home and in her arms…or, more often than not, she was in his.

She also found that oddly enough she didn't feel the physical pull to be near him. It seemed that when they naturally drifted apart in the same area there was such a strong, intangible, but so undeniably there connection between them that it didn't matter. And, naturally, they always drifted back.

She shook her head, clearing the thought. She was in the field now, she needed to focus. Concentration was often the difference between life and death. And even though the mission wasn't ranked incredibly high, it always had the potential to spiral south.

"Where are we starting?" She asked, looking up at him through the glasses pushed up over the bridge of her nose.

"We'll start at the site of the first murder, working our way in chronological order to the last. We might be able to find some kind of pattern."

She nodded; that was the most logical course of action. And it would give them a bit of a window into the killer's mind; something that, though disturbing initially, would likely prove invaluable later.

* * *

Abel glanced around the deserted alley and the line of yellow 'Caution' tape that still rimmed its entrance to the front and exit onto a main street at his back.

He glanced down, sliding his glasses off the bridge of his nose and into his hand. His wintry blue orbs drifted down to the pavement; sure enough, he could make out a faint purple glow in the rough shape of a sprawled body.

"Sakura, come and look at this." He told her, smiling lightly.

Slightly puzzled, she knelt down beside him, gazing at the pavement for a moment before shaking her head and looking up.

"What am I supposed to see?"

"Take off your glasses."

She hesitated for a moment…but they were in the shadow of the building…and it was a cloudy day…

She pushed them up into her hair.

He knew the moment it clicked for her. Her eyes widened, her fingertips brushing against the ground in a faint outline of what he was seeing. And then something else flashed across her features.

"I…recognize this…" She mumbled, as though she couldn't quite remember from where she knew it.

The answer hit her like a slap in the face.

Her voice didn't tremble when she replied, "Are the bodies available for our personal analysis?"

* * *

Sakura nodded her thanks to the morgue attendant as she slipped on a pair of latex gloves, pulled her hair up and slid a mask over her face.

She gently pulled the sheet back and gazed into the face she knew so well.

"Oh, Ino…what did you do?" She whispered as she pushed her friend's blonde hair away from her face…it was dirty…she hadn't bathed in a while. And the lacerations on her wrists were too clean, too precise…

'How could you, Ino? How could you use everything I taught you against yourself?' She wondered. And there was no denying she had done it to herself…for someone else to have made the cuts, they would have had to torque their wrists, resulting in a different, more angular cut. These, however, were perfect lines…

She ached to heal over those nasty, half-torn gashes that scared her pale flesh. But even through the sterile barrier of latex she felt the chill of death on her friend's skin.

Anger rose up like bile in her chest; there would have been hope for Ino…if someone hadn't slit her throat…Of all the wounds, that one hurt her the most. Because, though Ino had harmed herself first, this person had taken away any chance for her to recover…to get better…to have a _life_.

He would pay…He would pay _dearly_.

And just as quickly as the realization had come to her, the smell of death in the room overwhelmed her and she was forced through the same doors. She retched for a while into a small trashcan until she finally regained some sense of something other than the sickening need to vomit. During that time, Abel hovered nearby, waiting patiently for her to snap back.

When she finally did, he was there with a glass of water for her…and her gun.

* * *

The second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth sites held evidence, but thankfully evidence of no one that Sakura knew. But the manner of death was the same in all seven cases: the final blow came in the form of a slit throat that severed both the jugular and Cortaid artery completely. However, the scarred bones in the deepest wounds revealed the most…The bone was cleanly sliced…And there was only weapon they knew of that could do that…

The Sword of Beelzebub.

Dietrich….

"I will kill him." Sakura hissed as she glanced at the photos in her lap.

Abel made no attempt to stay her lethal intentions. He had only just begun to discuss a possible plan of finding him when a cry went up through the city.

They were both on their feet and moving before either realized it.

"It came from the south!" He told her, although she was quite aware of its direction.

They rounded the corner at the same time…and Sakura's eyes fell on a figure that she knew well.

"Konohamaru!" She cried, leaping up onto a building to cut across his apparent intended path of travel. She sprinted across the rooftop, dropping down in front of him.

"Onee-chan!" He yelled. He continued to run at her and she dropped her arm, hoping to simply scoop him up. But just as he reached her, something silver flashed in her vision and came across his throat.

Hot blood sprayed across her chest and face as his head and body moved in separate directions.

'NO!' The words rose up in her mind even though she knew it was too late. His body slid beneath her arm and she twisted to escape it. In doing so, she found herself lacerated by the sudden net of wires. For a moment, she felt nothing for a moment…and then a burst of pain so disproportionate to the wound that she thought, irrationally, that surely someone else's pain had struck her by accident. The displacement of air created by her movement washed over her skin, and the sensation was absolutely sickening. It was like someone had thrown her into the Sahara and then dumped a bucket of Arctic water over her. Konohamaru's body must have impacted the pavement at that moment, because the sound was exploded in her ear canal was truly horrific. In her sudden confusion, she lost her footing and slid against the pavement, her knees colliding with the concrete. Her hair fell over her face, a curtain of pink. Her breath tore through her throat in desperate gasps.

Abel rounded the corner, his blue eyes falling first on the blood sprayed against the pavement and then to Sakura's heaving form. Her breathing came in labored pants, harsh and short. And immediately he registered the thin mono-carbon strands hovering in the alleyway…

"Dietrich!" He snarled, turning to face the youth who was so casually pressed against the entrance of the alley.

"Hello, Father Nightroad, Sister Sakura." He smirked, toying with the threads coiled loosely around his fingertips.

Something flickered against the darkness…movement in the shadows…on the rooftops…They were surrounded, he deduced quickly, his hand hovering on the handle of his revolver. But before he could so much as graze it, Dietrich's nimble fingers had gone to work; his line snapped around the handle and barrel, and with a single jerk sliced it into five pieces. The useless metal clattered loudly against the concrete, an appreciative hiss rising from the Methuselah that were steadily closing in.

Abel's lips began to move, "Nano-machin…"

"You…" Sakura head jerked up ever so slightly, "_Will pay_."

Her head rose, and Abel's eyes widened as hers, shot red with light, flickered up. His eyes dropped to her hands, where her nails had clearly sharpened. Her lips, once an insipid pink, bled crimson. Her pink hair floated around her as if she was submerged in water…

Her nano-machines had Awakened…

White engulfed her, the air around him become so intensely charged he saw electricity crackle between them. The orb expanded, washing over him so intensely that for a moment he was blinded.

When his vision finally did clear, he didn't see Sakura…he saw an angel: her eyes radiated a soft red light, her crimson lips shone against her pearly skin, four white, gold-rimmed wings rose from her lithe back. In her hands she held a silver bow.

Her scarlet gaze fell on Dietrich as she lifted the instrument, pulling the twine back. The action formed a bolt of silver…

"Sakura! No!" Abel cried, sensing the amount of hatred built up in it. She would destroy the entire city if he didn't stop her!

He dove at her, his arms circling around her waist and pulling her close as the momentum of his sprint pulled them both down. He wrapped her in the protective cage of his body, her gasp of surprise filling his ear as the collided with the pavement.

"What are you doing!?" She hissed in protest as she struggled to extract herself from his arms.

"You're both dead!"

Their eyes snapped up as the shadows of the gathering Methuselah fell from the building, bearing down on them.

Sakura realized she didn't have time to defend either of them and instinctively she curled up against the impending blow. Something surged over her, and she her eyes snapped open as bone cracked above her.

Her eyes darted up, Abel's scythe shadowing her from above.

"For your crimes on this Earth you are surely damned." He hissed to them, his wings flapping once so powerfully that it pushed the offending Methuselah back.

"Abel…" Sakura whispered, her own wings trembling weakly.

He glanced at her, and though he didn't smile, it still felt the same as if he had. He was still there…

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't see another shadow fall on her. A snarling mass of claws and fangs leapt on her, pinning her. Sharp canines sank bone deep into her arm and, with one violent thrash of his head he tossed her across the alley. She felt something along the ridge of her wing snap, but by then something else so much stronger had risen up that she hardly noted it. Her free hand pulled back, her knuckles striking the snarling creature's face against its broad cheek bone. By the time she dropped to the cement, she had already returned to her human form.

Her green eyes darted to Abel, who now stood in a shimmering scarlet helix of vampire blood. She saw his pale tongue run across the edge of his fangs as the blood sank into him. She saw the wolf-like creature attempt a foolish charge at him, only to be flung back by the force of his electrical attack.

The battle was over quickly, forcing Dietrich to slink back into the shadows like the snake he was…And he was so fast, Abel had no chance of catching up with him.

He turned his attention to Sakura. His primary concern was her violent Awakening…had it fractured her mind?

"Sakura!" He cried, running over to her.

"I'm fine, Abel. Are you?" She asked, forcing herself into a sitting position.

The relief he felt was so acute that for a moment it stole his breath. But he recovered quickly, assuring her he was fine, as well.

"Thank you…" She said after a long moment, "For stopping me."

He just smiled.

TBC


	30. Chapter 30

_**Chapter Thirty: Saving an Ivory Stranger**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood! **_

_**A/N: THANK YOU, TIFFTIFF, FOR THE AWESOME KAKASHI LINES!**_

Sakura sighed as she slid her sunglasses back over the bridge of her nose, turning away from the rising sun. Bright pink bled across the horizon and spilled onto her clothing.

"We really made a mess of this alley." She commented.

"Nothing that hasn't occurred before." Abel remarked pleasantly.

She felt her lips pull up despite herself, "True."

"Abel…do you…?"

Her question was cut short by the sudden haziness in the air. She shook her head, trying to center her thoughts and wondering if her eyes had chosen to spasm on her. She opened her mouth, trying to say something when she realized that she knew this feeling…she knew this feeling on her skin and this taste in her mouth.

'An illusion…'

She tried to force her chakra into a release; but her hands refused to move, making the act of releasing the energy so much harder. Her eyes flickered to Abel, who had also realized something was wrong, but also lacked the ability to defend against it or strike back.

She wavered, trying unsuccessfully to take a step forward. She sank to her knees, her eyes falling on a pair of red orbs framed by raven hair.

"Y…you…" She hissed through the physical strain.

He didn't respond as his eyes bored into hers and he stepped forward, something long and silver flashing in his hand. She knew it was the Kusanagi blade.

Sakura forced her eyes shut; she wasn't going to die at his hand…and she'd be damned if he was going to harm Abel. She felt the rush of energy, white hot and ready, and the resultant need for blood. She shook her head, forcing the latter down as completely as she could while allowing the former to flow through her.

But just as she reached the threshold, something deep inside of her trembled. She hesitated, feeling for the source of the jar…she found nothing…tried to force herself forward again…and felt a rush of overwhelming fatigue wash over her. She slumped against the ground, straining to keep her eyes open beneath the crushing exhaustion.

"Weak." Sasuke stated simply as he raised the blade.

Sakura growled in protest, but she couldn't force her limbs to move. He eyed her through the bloody veil of the Sharingan, pulling her deeper into oblivion.

By some miracle of sheer force of will, she managed to pull her eyes to the side by just a few millimeters, breaking the strongest of his control. She forced chakra into her arms---he could control her body, not her mind…not yet---and shoved herself to the side, narrowly avoiding the flash of his blade.

That broke their eye contact completely, and she shoved her chakra into the air around her, severely degrading the illusion and adding an additional barrier to his control. She got to her feet, her knees still shaking.

"It's over, Sakura." He told her icily, holding out his palm which glowed blue with the force of the electricity buzzing there.

He charged her, and only her Crusnik eyes saved her; she stumbled left, narrowly avoiding a direct blow. The discharged ruptured the wall, shattering it through to the port pier behind the barrier. The force of the shock wave threw her back through the destroyed wall, tendrils of electricity dancing across her skin.

She impacted so hard against the pier deck that the wood cracked beneath her. She rolled with the impetus, shards of the deck embedding in her arm and shoulder. She managed to stop herself just short of the edge of the pier, though her eyes fell on the dark water twenty feet below her.

Brilliant metallic blue light filled her eyes from above. Her head snapped up to the black blur with red eyes, and she threw her arms over her chest in a vain attempt to protect herself.

At that moment, something else filled the already white-hot space above her and swallowed what little color there was left in the world…

Like two stars colliding, the orbs of light swallowed each other as the figures were engulfed by the radiance of the impact. But one of them was greater, and the black blur with red eyes was sent flying back. Dazed, it was all the kunoichi could do to rise up on her knees as the gray cloak of her protector fell away.

Her first reaction was to check for another illusion, because she didn't believe it could be anything but a trick of the mind. Her second was dizzying disbelief that this was real. The third was utter joy.

"Se…Sensei!" She cried.

With a crease of the eye that was so characteristic it couldn't be anyone else, he turned and smiled at her. "Long time, no see, Sakura."

Tears welled up in her eyes, "I could say the same about you."

Something shifted in front of them, and she didn't even have time to scream a warning before the jonin was sent flying. He slammed against her, and the impact was more than enough to carry both of them over the edge of the dock.

Sasuke prepared to charge again when something sank into his shoulder and pierced his chest in a thin mist of crimson.

"Stand down." Abel demanded, cocking Sakura's revolver again.

"Idiotic priest." Sasuke hissed as he clamped his hand over the wound. It was severe…as much as he hated to do it, he needed to fall back. "I've taken care of the obstacle I came to."

Abel had no time to respond as he disappeared again.

He wasted no more thought on the Uchiha as he ran across the destroyed deck and glanced into the foggy water below. But there wasn't even so much as a ripple.

"Sakura!" He cried into the thick mist, knowing the creatures that lurked in those waters.

"She's okay."

He turned on the voice and met its master: he was a tall man, clearly built for speed and power, with a tangled spike of silver hair, and a single visible eye over a mask that covered his face from the nose down. A headband, just like Sakura's, only black, hung over his left eye, and his garb was simple beneath a vest that seemed to function as body armor and a place to store equipment.

"Who are you?" He asked as the man approached him and shifted Sakura into his arms.

"A former teacher. My name is Hatake Kakashi." He replied as he turned away.

"Wait! I know she wants to speak with you." Abel told him.

"Tell her that this old man has a mistake he needs to fix."

Abel wanted to reply that he should tell her himself. That this was the first sign of hope she's had in a very long time.

But Kakashi spoke first, "Take good care of her."

"I will."

"I know."

"How?" Abel asked, confused by the enigma of a man before him.

"Something changed when she heard your voice. She wanted nothing more than to get back to you."

Kakashi glanced over his shoulder…just over the edge of the metal plate of his hitae-ate, he could see the halo of her chakra shift. He saw it soften when she heard his voice. And now, in his arms, he saw something he had never seen in any shinobi: complete and utter ease in everything about her.

"Tell her that this old man wants her to be happy."

"What do you mean?" Abel asked, sensing something beneath the surface of the statement.

"You have to move on and become stronger. Dwelling on the past will not get you anywhere. You have to conquer your fears."

"You can't ask her not to find answers."

"I'm asking you not to let those answers consume her."

Kakashi mumbled something that Abel barely caught, though he knew it wasn't for him, or even for her. "You can't let what happened years ago affect the here and now."

"Would you give this to her?" He added, holding out a small bell.

Abel took it with a nod as he glanced down at the young woman in his arms, and, already far ahead of him, Kakashi disappeared again into the fog.

* * *

Sakura moaned as she forced her eyes open. But seeing everything but the one thing she had so expected to be there, she snapped up from the ground.

"Abel! Where is he?" She asked.

"He said he had something he needed to do." Abel told her, his eyes soft.

Sakura felt her heart drop, although she didn't feel the pain she knew should accompany that statement. She didn't need to ask who, either…

"He said he wanted you to be happy." Abel added. "He didn't want the past to consume you."

"Like Sasuke…" She breathed.

"And he wanted me to give you this."

Abel held out his hand and automatically Sakura opened hers. The small gold bell dropped into her hands, and looking into it, she remembered something he had said to her shortly after her successful chunin exam…

_He looked at her and smiled; she could tell that much even through his mask. It was just part of their dynamic, she supposed. But it felt so good to have him there in the midst of her first real victory. _

_ "Thanks for coming." _

_ She hated herself for thinking he wouldn't. He may have been a better sensei for Naruto and Sasuke, but he was much more of a father to her than he was to them. _

_ He just smiled again as he took a seat next to her. _

_ "You've come a long way." He remarked. _

_ "Thanks." She replied softly, knowing that there was a hidden lesson there for her to find. There always was---and not one of them had failed. _

_ "Just remember what I taught you: Focus on teamwork. Without friends at your side, the battle will never truly be won. Working alone will lead to your downfall. Trust in your comrades and together, you can succeed in anything." _

_ "Sensei…does…that mean that you're not…proud of me?" _

_ "Quite the opposite. You've come farther than anyone I've ever known. And you're far from done." _

_ "Then…?" _

_ "I want you to remember that the sum of the parts is greater than the whole."_

_ "So the weakest link might just be the one that saves you…" She replied, echoing the end of his statement…she had heard him say it once before. "Are you saying…I'm the weak link?" _

_ "No." He assured her, "I saying that you should never underestimate the weak link." _

Abel's hand on her shoulder shook her back to reality and she gazed into the thick fog around them, whispering, "What are you trying to tell me?"

* * *

Kakashi knew he wasn't coming home. He had given Sasuke the arsenal he had, knowing what he would do with it. And for years he had avoided admitting his mistake. And now he was going to do more than admit it: he was going to fix it.

But he needed to know that there would be someone to ground Sakura, to stop her from becoming what he was trying to stop. He didn't want the cycle to go on.

But, maybe, he could stop this…Then again, Sasuke was such a stranger to him now that maybe both of them were past the point of return…

Still…he would try.

TBC


	31. Chapter 31

_**Chapter Thirty One: Raison D'être**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Trinity Blood or Naruto!**_

_**A/N: "Raison D'être" is the term given to one's justification for their existence. **_

Tsunade stood over him, hazel eyes peering into fading orbs. She knelt down, taking his hand into hers.

"You tried so hard." She told him.

He tried to laugh, but she could hear the blood in his lungs gurgle with it. "I never thought it would end this way."

"It doesn't have to." She told him.

"No…I've lived my life. This man is too old now." He told her.

"Oh, Kakashi…" Tears well up in her eyes; how unfair that a woman has old as she was should live longer than he would. He wasn't even half her age. "Your whole life is still ahead of you."

He shook his head, gazing into a distance not even she could see. "My life is over."

She heard another chuckle pass his lips. "I don't think there's much hope left."

"Oh, Kakashi, haven't you learned?" She asked, her lips pulling up sadly, "There never is. But we've made it this far."

He smiled, "I suppose…you're right…"

"Is it…scary, Kakashi?" She asked.

He looked up at her, his eyes shining despite his imminent fate, "No. It's actually…quite nice."

She smiled as she watched the light in his eyes fade. Tears pouring down her cheeks, she gently pulled his mask away from his face and pressed her lips to his.

"I'll see you there someday…somewhere far away…" She told him as she stood up, his blood painting her lips ruby.

* * *

Sakura's tears fell freely from her face as she stared into the infinite sky above her, stars twinkling in the great distance.

"Sakura?" Abel asked from behind, where the light of the fire in the hearth colored the room warmly.

"He won't be coming back, will he, Abel?"

He didn't respond.

The wind outside picked up, and he saw a single tear, pulled from the pale skin by that current, glitter and fade into the darkness.

But before he could offer comfort, a slight electric buzz filled the air around him and he turned to face Kate.

"Duchess Milan has ordered that you report to her office immediately."

Abel nodded, setting down his cup of tea and rising, leaving his book on the armrest of the chair. He glanced around the immense common room before his eyes fell on her.

"I'll be there in a minute." She told him.

* * *

They stood, as custom and respect dictated, until the Caterina motioned for them to sit.

"I apologize for interrupting your evening like this." She began, bringing a cup to her lips before she continued, "But we've recently received some rather disturbing reports from the East."

"Disturbing?" Abel asked.

"Yes, more so than usual, in fact." She replied. "People in Albion are reporting incidents of what they're calling an "Angel of Death" in the city."

"Angel…of Death…?" Sakura trailed off.

"Yes. They report a beautiful creature, quite magnificent, in fact, but that it evokes pure terror."

Sakura swallowed hard against the bile in the back of her throat; it sounded like Cain…all of it…but Abel had destroyed him…once and for all…

"There are certain breeds of Methuselah that would fit that description. Endre, for example." Abel replied.

"True. But, either way, these incidents need investigating. And you two are the only available operatives. You'll move out in a few hours. I want regular reports made to Kate. You're dismissed."

* * *

Sakura stepped off of the train, her bag in hand, right behind Abel.

"So…do you think we'll find anything?" She finally asked.

He hummed thoughtfully before replying, "I guess we'll just have to see."

She sighed in mock annoyance, "You're such a featherbrain, you know that?"

"So I've been told." He smiled.

"Maybe not enough." She smirked back playfully.

* * *

Night fell quickly; a little too quickly, in fact. It was eerie how afternoon suddenly gave way to darkness without the usual, brilliant sunset. But that thought wouldn't occur to either of them until much later.

She sat stretched out prone against a rooftop, trying to conceal as much of her body as possible while she surveyed the quiet city with binoculars. Somewhere in the city, Abel was lurking in the shadows, keeping silent tabs on the citizens that happened to be out.

There didn't seem to be much going on…not even the usual street brawls…

"Abel," She finally sighed into her intercom, "I don't think we're going to find anything."

"It has been quiet." He admitted. "But good things come to those who wait."

"And apparently we don't have to wait much longer…" She trailed off as something moved in the distance shadows. It was too massive to be a Methuselah, or a human. And the shape was wrong for a machine…

"Southern Quadrant 8."

She rose quickly, disappearing into the shadows as Abel moved.

* * *

The noise was disgusting even from a block away; something she didn't quite recognize but knew she should.

She saw Abel coming up the opposite street, and increased her speed to match his. His eyes met hers under the pale moonlight, and he nodded. She dipped her head back, drawing her gun as she pivoted to face the intruder in the street.

The shock of what they saw stilled even Abel: The entire street was painted an inch thick with gore, and the walls of the homes and buildings were dripping with it. And Sakura knew that chakra signature…

This was one person…but…

The thought alone made her sick: it was Itachi; but, he was still just human…he couldn't have had that much blood in his body unless…unless…he had been healed at least three times and cut down again…With the Sharingan at his disposal…it wasn't entirely…it wasn't entirely improbable that he had memorized a healing jutsu and tried to save himself…but…Itachi…had to know that Sasuke would keep coming after him…so…why not end it the first time? Unless…Itachi hadn't made the decision to heal himself…

'Dietrich?' She wondered, "Kabuto?"

Or both…Her eyes shot up as she looked for some sign of them; but Itachi's body was spread so thickly over any potential evidence that she doubted even Abel could detect it.

She heard a chuckle, and even though the voice was wrong, there was no denying who it was. Her eyes fell on a figure…but when she realized who it was, she couldn't help but stumble back.

She saw Abel's eyes harden like warm water suddenly freezing. She tried to reach for him, to stop him, but the force of his transformation threw her back.

"Abel! Stop! It's not Cain!"

The eyes that were once Cain's fell on her, and she knew that it was Sasuke…he had succeeded in his revenge, and maybe, just maybe, she could bring him home.

"Sasuke! Stop!" She cried as she pushed herself to her feet and sprinted between them.

"You can come home!" She cried, "It's over!"

He looked at her icily as he drew himself closer. She took a shaky breath as his hand came down on her shoulder, and he looked into her eyes. He leaned forward and whispered, "You really are annoying."

She felt a chill shoot down her spine and the hair on the back of her neck rise.

"Sasuke…there's no one left. You've avenged your clan." She told him.

"No, Sakura. The world must pay."

"What…do you mean?"

"Konoha may have fallen. But those responsible for the downfall of the Uchiha clan are still alive." He turned his head, his eyes glowing with red light as he said, "You, too, are responsible."

She didn't have time to ask for a rationale. His arm pulled back and she flinched away instinctively as something else rushed between him. The clash sent her sprawling several feet. As she slid along the pavement, her eyes snapped open.

Abel had rushed in at the last possible second and hooked his scythe around Sasuke's arm as the same moment the Uchiha had materialized his lance. The resultant clash swept waves of debris and blood away from them in concentric circles.

"Abel!" She cried as she flipped back onto her feet.

She opened her mouth to mutter the command---she understood now why Abel did it. It was easier to link her mind and body with a verbal command than just a thought. But she hadn't even acknowledged a limitation when a blast of red light skated across her torso, ripping the left side of her ribcage open.

She contained the cry between her teeth even as she spiraled against a phone booth and toppled to the ground. Groaning, she forced herself onto her knees and shot a vicious glare at the Uchiha.

Abel, infuriated by the attack, forced his full weight against the scythe, pushing Sasuke back.

That gave Sakura just enough time to whisper the command. Pale angel wings spread from her back, her lips bleed ruby, her eyes flashed red…and a bow of crystallized blood appeared in her hands.

She drew it back, a bolt forming as she did so. And she leveled it against Sasuke.

"Give it up, Sasuke." She said, her voicing carrying a foreign depth and ring, but no less of her femininity. "I won't ask a second time."

Of all the things he could have done, he smirked…his hand come down on the lance and he spun it, shoving Abel away. Sakura took her shot, but by then his lance was in the perfect place to reverse it. The bolt sprang back, shooting through her right shoulder and sending her slamming against the ground.

She rolled back onto her feet, but he had severed the muscles in her upper chest and shoulder so effectively that even in forty percent output, she was healing at the rate of a human. And her chakra was refusing to cooperate.

Abel lashed out with a web of electricity, but it just seemed to dissipate around Sasuke. There was a backlash of destructive energy, though, that flung him like a rag doll across the street.

He intended to regroup, but by then Sasuke had vanished again.

"Damn him…" Abel whispered as he rose from the ground, his hair falling back to silver around his long face.

Sakura was just getting to her own feet some fifty feet away, her hair falling back to her shoulders and her eyes running viridian and her lips fading to pink.

"Why did he run?" She asked, her right shoulder limp and the left side of her ribcage bloody.

"It's a new host; it's highly unlikely that he can maintain that output for very long just yet."

"Just when I thought maybe this war was over…"

He smiled at her, "We've made progress. That's all we can ask for tonight."

She sighed as she clamped her hand over the puncture in her shoulder. "And the Orden?"

"We'll stop them. We have to."

"And if we can't?"

"Failure isn't an option for us."

TBC

_**A/N: First of all, when Tsunade asks him if death is scary, she knows he has the answer because he died in the invasion by Pein, but was resurrected. And the last line in that scene about a far away heaven comes from the song "Moonlight Shadow."**_


	32. Chapter 32

_**Thirty-Two: Deep Breath**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood!**_

_**A/N: There's a play reference in here. Let's see if anyone catches it. ~.^**_

Sakura turned over in her sleep, her eyes fluttering open as a light breeze danced across her skin. Instinct kicked in sharply; she hadn't left that window open…

She kicked the blankets off and stood up. It took her three strides to cross the room, and a fraction of a second to grip the waving curtain in her hand. She didn't know why, but she hesitated before she jerked it aside to glance down into the quiet courtyard beneath her.

She sighed in relief to herself; not that she had even the faintest idea of what to expect in the first place. Something just felt _wrong _in the air. But even her Crusnik senses couldn't detect anything…

She shook her head in mild amusement at herself as she turned around…

And almost ran into a shadowy figure that seemed to materialize from nowhere.

Her scream hitched in her throat as she moved, moonlight spilling in around her and catching the yellow glint of his eyes. She pressed herself against the window sill, fear holding her.

"Or…Orochimaru…" She breathed.

He cocked his head to the side in quiet recognition.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded shakily.

"You know why I'm here." He replied matter-of-factly.

Sakura took a deep breath; she had to remember that this wasn't the Orochimaru she knew…even if his eyes still stayed her heart the way they used to…

"Sasuke…the transfer…" She muttered.

"How do I stop him?" She demanded sharply, suddenly.

"Leave nothing to revive." He replied, leaning in and gently pushing aside a stray lock of hair.

"Is that all the hope that's left? Just death?" She asked, tears spilling down her pale face.

"Sasuke has chosen his path, Sakura. I admit I pushed him to this. But you can save him."

"By killing him?" She replied. "What kind of sick fate is this?"

He smiled sadly, "Fate? There is no such thing, Sakura. They made their decisions, both of them. Now it's time to make yours. But you have the burden of an entire world upon your shoulders. Should you fail, no one will succeed."

"And my world? Is there anything left?" She whispered.

"Of the old world? No. And those that have survived have only two options: stay and be consumed by the destruction, or move on and live."

"But I don't have either option, do I?" She asked, feeling irrationally angry at him.

"You will, someday." He told her. He said it like a prayer, with the raw, laid-bare emotion of someone whose hope was already assured.

"And what about you?"

"I've made my choice." He told her.

"And what is it?"

He didn't reply as he turned his head to glance out through the fluttering curtains. His eyes found the moon and the stars and all the glittering streaks of color between them.

"Orochimaru?" She whispered.

He turned back, his yellow eyes finding her viridian ones. He just smiled before he disappeared back through the open window.

"Wait!" Sakura cried, throwing herself against the sill and looking down into the bare and wrecked Vatican city.

She fell to her knees, hanging onto the sill for what little support she could find. She tried to pray, but found the words stuck in her throat and her thoughts too jumbled to focus.

* * *

The Kyubi balanced the chalice in his clawed hand as he eyed Sasuke with an approving smirk.

"And what will you do now?" He finally asked.

"Isn't that obvious?" The Uchiha replied.

The demonic entity chuckled darkly as it raised the goblet to his lips. When he pulled the cup away, they were painted red with blood. "I suppose it is."

"Your operative is waiting to speak with you." Sasuke finally said through Cain's visage.

"Send him in." The Kyubi replied.

Sasuke nodded, rising from his kneel and walking through the dark doors that had been to his back. The figure that replaced him was cloaked in black, a long hood drawn over his face.

"You know the time is coming." The Kyubi stated, his red eyes narrowing.

"And I am ready, My Lord."

"Good." The tailed-beast replied, raising the chalice again and grimacing at its sudden drop in temperature. "There is a certain…_addendum_ to my orders that I'm entrusting to you."

"Yes?"

"Sakura…I want her blood for myself. No one is to harm her."

"Yes, My Lord."

The demon watched the man back away and disappear back through the double doors. Silently, it appraised the remaining blood in the golden cup clasped in his clawed hand before setting it aside. It was common blood, tainted with a life of hardship and the bitterness of age. And although it was sufficient to sate his blood lust, it was far from what refined. He wanted something richer; her blood, the act of taking her life force and draining her of it, would be the culmination of his war.

His tongue ran across his blood-damp lips as he fantasized about cornering her, letting her tears sweeten the air around them with salt water, letting adrenaline flood her veins and spike her blood, letting her pulse die beneath his hands as he ripped into her…

He smirked.

* * *

Sakura rapped lightly on his door, waiting for his call before she stepped in. She closed the door behind her, sealing the dim hallway light out. His room, and hers, were pitch black. It was too hard to sleep any other way with their heightened senses.

"Abel?" She whispered.

"Are you okay?" He asked, sitting up in his bed.

"Yeah." She lied weakly as she crossed the room and sat down on the edge of his bed. He shifted, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her onto his lap before he slid her beneath the blanket on the opposite side of the bed.

"Having a hard time sleeping?" He asked.

She nodded, burying her face against his chest. He pulled her close, curving his body to suit hers. He felt her tremble once, her hand twining in the cotton of his night shirt.

"What's wrong?" He asked gently.

"I'm afraid, Abel. This war is going to get worse…"

"It's always darkest just before the dawn."

"And what if the dawn isn't coming?"

"It is, Sakura. Even it has been eclipsed for the moment, it's still there. Waiting, wanting to be found."

"Abel…what if I can't do what needs to be done?"

"You don't know what needs to be done, yet, so how can you make that decision? Let alone think on it."

* * *

The Cardinal rose from his bed, pulling on a long red robe as he left his room. The halls were quiet, the sentries unsurprised to see him. It wasn't hard to gain access to the computer systems; he had more than one third of the override codes he needed. And the others were pulled automatically once he entered his younger brother's.

* * *

Darkness crept across the sleeping city, quietly engulfing the battle ships, the homes of civilians. Quickly, silently, the throats of women and children and men were cut, their spilled blood fueling the rising call to battle and blood lust. The horror of the night was had in silence; there was no time to scream, no time to cry "Hold! Hold!" There was only time to let life slip through their fingers like water.

The Kyubi chuckled, its tongue running across its lips as the life force of the dead and the dying was collected, as the crimson life force of their bodies was lapped up by his Death Eaters. It pressed its palm to the ground, letting red fire burn scarlet runes and circles into the ground. It's chuckled turned to insane laughter as power flooded its host body.

"Tonight, Hell shall rise." It smirked, eyes glowing.

TBC


	33. Chapter 33

_**Chapter Thirty-Three: World of Nightmare**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood! **_

Sakura bolted straight up, her skin a slick of cold sweat. Her breathing was labored, and it took her a moment to push back the instinctive horror at the odor of the air around her to realize why she was so shaken: blood, human blood…and the thickness of it in the air, coppery and sickening, exceeded her worst nightmares; Beside her, Abel hissed dangerously as he slid from the bed, throwing open the curtains of the bedroom. The sky was pouring crimson sheets like rain, dousing the world in blood…

"The security systems…" Abel trailed off. The alarm should have been sounded the moment the composition of the liquid falling from the sky fell above or below a set baseline. And this certainly was well above that baseline. But the call to arms hadn't been sounded…His wintry eyes turned to the computer systems of his room; all of them were either malfunctioning or outright deactivated.

"Sakura, get to the main computer system control relay. Override it and get it operational again. We don't have much time. Hurry."

Sakura nodded, bolting down the hall. As she disappeared in a blur of color and movement, Abel uttered a string of commands under his breath.

* * *

Sakura came to the door, leaning against the wall as she brought her eye to the scanner. Pale blue light filled her eye, the image of her optics appearing on the screen above her as the computer cross-referenced the current image with its database.

"AX agent, Sakura Haruno, confirmed." The computer finally chimed.

"Requesting access to Data Panel Relay Alpha." She replied.

"Access Denied."

"What?!" She cried.

She sighed to herself, knowing something was wrong. AX agents had clearance just below absolute. She didn't wait for the computer to pipe back up with its continued assertion that she had been denied access. She laid her hand flat against the cold metal door and shoved.

The metal split easily beneath her hand, and she stepped through the destroyed door without missing a beat. And she felt air rush into her lungs as her eyes met a figure draped in red.

"Cardinal Francesco…" She trailed off.

"Stupid girl." He spat.

Sakura's eyes hardened as she glared at him. "It was you…but why?"

He laughed darkly before finally replying, "I suppose at this point it can't hurt to tell you. You aren't going to make it much farther, anyway."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sakura demanded.

"I think you know." He replied viciously.

"Spill it before I decide I'm sick of this game." She replied, the threat in her voice clear.

"You owe your very creation to me!" He cried. "I! Me! _I _funded the research on that pathetic floating island you called your world. I provided the scientists, the researchers, the information! Everything! You owe me everything!"

"Why?!" She yelled back, "You despise the Methuselah! Why make a fourth breed at all?!"

He chuckled before growing serious. "The Midnight Sun project was our last hope. A single, pathetic Crusnik couldn't hold back the tide of Methuselah forever. We needed a new weapon. But when I saw what you were…all of you…disgusting, twisted, inhuman _things _I relented. I ordered your destruction, but those fools who _I _had hired refused. They said my prejudices would damn the world. And where could I go for help? Caterina? My brother? No; they knew nothing of it. To tell them at that point…I would have been hung for treason against the _Empire_, by my own people."

"Then what the hell happened?" Sakura screamed.

"Your _friend_ came to me. Or I should say, the creature inside of him did. He was more than willing to rip that world apart."

"But if our history is made up, then what on Earth is the Kyubi?" Sakura demanded.

"You truly think that vampires are the worst evil in our world, don't you?" He spat.

"So it is a demon." She hissed.

He flashed a sick smirk at her as he continued, "And then he offered to eliminate those damned leeches. How could I say no?"

"And did you know you were risking the entire world?!" Sakura replied.

"Those fools?" He asked with an insane smile, "Sick, indulgent, gluttonous heaps of flesh and blood? They are mere fodder for the fire!"

Sakura moved, disappearing completely to his human vision a fraction of a second before he was slammed against the control panel by her weight, the dagger in her hand pressed to his throat.

"What are you going to do?!" He yelled, smiling, "Kill me?!"

Sakura smirked before she back-handed him hard enough to send him sprawling against the ground, unconscious.

"Killing you would be too quick." She replied evenly as she stepped up to the consol and began to type in the override code.

The resultant shriek of the alarm was music to her ears; her Crusnik hearing detected the sudden cry of soldiers moving, the click of rifles and the hum of machines being spurred to life.

* * *

The Kyubi didn't bother letting the sudden siren call to arms distract him. He was far too close to victory to let a small army of lowly men so much as delay him. It sucked in the life force of the dying around it, letting their fading energy spur his own.

Crimson flames erupted around him, red electricity igniting the air above him in a column of spiraling, twisting death.

* * *

Father Leon cried out in mild surprise as a vampire leapt at him. But he was faster, rotating his wrist fluidly and sending multiple metal discs into the Methuselah's chest and torso. Beside him, Vaclav and Hugue hacked through ranks of them, Methuselah and Death Eater alike. The Professor brought up the rear rank, easily dispatching numerous threats with fluid snaps of his cane blade.

"Watch your back." Something hissed.

They spun just as Sakura leapt from the rooftop, spinning a long staff and knocking the female Methuselah back with enough force to send her flying for several city blocks.

"I guess no one told you watch yours." Sakura replied evenly.

"Well, hello, Sister Sakura." Leon smirked, eyeing her. She hadn't had time to change out of her night clothing: a top that resembled a corset that dipped in the front, and white cotton shorts that barely skimmed the upper most margin of her thigh. Nor had she had time to shrug off the lacy white robe she had put on earlier. She had simply thrown a pair of combat boots on before she grabbed the nearest weapon and got moving.

"Shove it." She replied with a smirk before spinning into the next row of creatures.

She recognized Methuselah and Death Eaters among the ranks, but there were other creatures that she didn't and that were equally vicious and much more dangerous.

* * *

Abel spun, bringing his scythe through one Methuselah as he fired a round with his free hand at a Death Eater. Leaping back several feet, he generated a massive net of white-hot electricity, clearing a sound radius around himself that gave him just enough time to reload his revolver. Blood rotated around him in a shimmering double helix as he moved across the battlefield, slick with the blood of fallen Methuselah.

But the entire thing was far too similar to the first battle several months earlier to be a coincidence. However, this was a front that was much more put together, much more diverse, and far more lethal. To top it off, they had numbers that completely overshadowed their own, even with the help of the Department of Inquisition and the army of foot soldiers and pilots they had at their command.

He knew this would be the decisive battle; if they won, they would win the war. If, however, their forces were pushed back and lost ground, they would, without a doubt, fall that very night.

* * *

Sakura spun on the tips of her toes between two Death Eaters, rotating the staff in her hands and sending both of them sprawling in tandem with Tres' gunfire.

"I'm moving ahead." She told him as she kicked off of the ground, clutching the revolver holstered at her hip with her free hand. If she needed to draw it quickly, it wouldn't be hard from her vantage point.

But by then, Hugue and Vaclav had cleared most of the threats. She took a moment to get a beat on them, realizing they had split up. And, if the sudden fading of many of the creatures' energy signatures were any indication, they were in no trouble.

With Tres bringing up the rear of their flank, she reasoned, that she stood a good chance of finding Abel in the crowd and relaying the information she had. Really, it wouldn't help them in the moment, and she knew that. But she was also aware of the emotion she had suppressed…releasing the nanomachines at that point would have been beyond reckless. The transformation from dormancy to awakened Crusnik often had emotional and psychology backlashes…she wouldn't risk endangering those around her without someone there to act as a grounding force. And the only one capable of doing that---or stopping her if she lost control---was Abel.

* * *

Caterina put a single, white-gloved finger to her lips, signaling her brother to be quiet. She shifted back against the door, hiding him with her body as she tried to take cover in the shadows. The electricity had gone out some time ago, and their radio communications weren't functional. She had heard the call to arms, but no one had come to collect her or the Pope.

Since then, several hostile Methuselah had invaded the ship. But each time, Kate, her holographic signals weak and her efforts met with computerized resistance, had somehow managed to mislead them or turn them away.

She was also attempting to route a signal to the Inquisition. Sister Paula would be of no use to them, but Brother Petro…his love for the Pope was quite literally exceeded his desire to simply survive in most situations. If they could get a message out to him and last long enough for him to find them, they stood a good chance of survival.

* * *

The Professor furiously punched in several keys onto the computer on his wrist. He hissed in frustration at the result of the diagnostic: when the system had gone down, Kate's systems had been corrupted. Meaning her defense schemes had also been damaged and that meant that she couldn't protect Duchess Milan or the Pope.

He quickly sent a short-ranged wire to the Inquisition's flag ship. He directed it at the only person in that whole subdivision he was willing to extend the smallest trust: Brother Orcini.

Then he began an attempt to fix the twisted and mangled computer codes that made up Kate's programming. If he lost the link to her conscious mind through her comatose body, he might not be able to restore it again.

* * *

Sakura landed easily on the rooftop, her green eyes raking the chaotic scene for danger before she dropped to the ground below. The fires raging around the already damaged and weakened Vatican City appeared to be the only potential threat. In every other way, they served her fairly well; she would have been able to see in a pitch black void, but their crimson and orange glow assured she didn't have to focus as intently to center her Crusnik vision.

She took a step forward, carefully avoiding the shattered class lest the crack of it beneath her boots give her away. She turned on her side, glancing over her left shoulder before she took another step forward.

"You always were annoying."

She stiffened, spinning on her heels to face a voice she barely recognized, but a tone and sentiment she knew all too well.

"Sasuke." She replied, ignoring his current visage.

"I'd like to kill you now, but someone else has plans for you." He told her with an icy smirk.

"What…do you mean?" She asked, her eyes narrowing.

"He means me."

Sakura turned, a gasp escaping her lips as ruthless chakra washed over her skin like a physical blow.

TBC


	34. Chapter 34

_**Chapter Thirty-Four: Disturbia**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Trinity Blood, Naruto, the Rihanna song, or the Claymore scene in here where Naruto is crying. **_

Sakura didn't have time to react before Sasuke had seized her from behind, knocking the staff out of her hand and seizing both of her wrists in one hand. He brutally wrenched them back behind her head, pinioning them between her shoulder blades.

She struggled, but in his fully fused form she didn't stand a chance. And she didn't dare release her own Crusnik form. She knew she would lose control, and while she thought it might be worth it to take both of them out, she knew that Abel would be forced to put her down. The pain that would cause him…it was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

She swallowed hard against the metallic taste in her mouth as she turned her emerald green eyes on the Kyubi's glowing red orbs. He approached her with a sickening smirk, running his clawed hand along her finely sculpted jaw; his drew his thumb down, slicing into her neck. She didn't feel the sharp pain that accompanied the wound, only the hot tendril of blood that worked its way down her slender throat. And she registered his leaning it and cupping his lips to the gash to drink her blood with such acuteness that it was almost painful.

He pulled back a moment later, licking his lips to lap up the remaining ruby-red droplets. And then he knelt down, running his hand along the inside of her thigh to feel for the throb of the artery there. Sakura shuddered as his fingers pressed into the flesh just above her knee.

"What are you doing?" She demanded.

"Silence." Sasuke hissed, pulling down on her pinned arms.

She groaned in protest, but by then her breath was so ragged she didn't have air to vocalize it.

"Sasuke." The Kyubi suddenly commented with hidden meaning.

Sakura shuddered as Sasuke pressed his lips to her neck, wrenching her arms even further back and forcing her to arch her back.

"I'm begging you two…stop it." She finally whispered, tears running from her tightly closed eyes.

Maybe it was just her mind refusing to believe they, of all people, were attacking her, let alone so…monstrously. But she felt her grip on reality slipping away as she was plunged into a world of memory.

_"Sakura! Come on!" Naruto whined, pulling her along by the arm. _

_ "What's wrong?" She asked, her boots clicking faintly on the pavement. _

_ "Ramen!" He replied. _

_ "Is this your idea of a date?" She asked with a smirk. _

_ "I'm paying." He replied with a smile. _

That shimmered and disappeared like images through a veil of tears to be replaced with another.

_Sasuke sank the kunai into his leg, breaking the jutsu. By then, she was so far gone in the illusion, she barely recognized the sudden pull of his arms around her waist or the dull thud of the kunai sinking into the dirt behind her. _

_ It wasn't until they were away from the Sannin that Sakura realized she owed him her life. And she remembered him sinking that same blade back into his leg and the sudden ache she felt in her chest as blood sprayed across the ground. _

She almost wanted to stay in that memory, but a sharp pain in her neck and another, deeper pain in her thigh snapped her back to reality. She felt Sasuke's fangs slide into the artery in her neck, felt the Kyubi's hot tongue run across the deep gash in her thigh that bled crimson. Her vision was fading, her muscles weakening, and she knew life was slipping away from her as her blood was drained.

The Kyubi stood up, licking his lips as Sasuke pulled away, letting her body slip to the ground. He smirked as he leaned down, rolling her onto her back so he could stare into her eyes.

"You were…delicious." He remarked before they both walked away, leaving her in a growing puddle of her own blood.

She didn't know how much time passed before she felt a warm hand on her forehead.

"Silly girl…"

She knew that voice…And she knew the feeling of warmth invading her body and the sudden thrum of blood in her veins. But…her eyes were still closing…

* * *

Sakura bolted straight up, disoriented and adrenaline-spent. But there was nothing there…only destroyed buildings and flaring flames. The memory of what happened came rushing back to her and she forced herself on to her feet.

She glanced down at the ground, where large, scarlet puddles of her own blood were filtering into the earth. She knew she shouldn't be alive, let alone conscious and moving…

She shook her head; she didn't have time to think about that…

"Sakura!"

She turned on her heel a little too quickly and her world pitched and rolled before she had time to recognize the voice. She just barely felt a pair of arms come around her and pull her close. Her vision cleared a moment later, and she found herself staring into Abel's wintry blue eyes.

"Are you alright?" He demanded.

"Yeah…I think so." She replied, staring down at her clothing, now soaked through with crimson. Her flesh was streaked with it, too.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Sasuke…Naruto…I mean, the Kyubi." She told him, shaking her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts.

"How did you find me?" She finally asked.

Abel swallowed hard; he had found her in the wreckage from half a mile away because of the sheer volume of blood she had been putting out. He was sure she was already gone before he ever laid eyes on her. And based on the amount of blood on the ground, she should have been.

"Your blood…I smelled it…"

"I see…" She replied disjointedly.

He shook her gently, "Stay with me."

"Sorry." She replied with a weak smirk.

He smiled back, planting a kiss on her lips before he shifted his hand down, supporting the small of her back as he pulled her up, looping his free arm under hers. "You're going to need to feed."

"Point out the Methuselah." She responded, smiling.

He sighed with amusement as he leaned down, exposing the side of his neck. Sakura's hand came up, twining in his silver hair as she pressed her lips to his throat. He had more than enough to spare, having fed from every Methuselah that he had cut down.

It didn't take much, either, for her to take her fill from him. In a feeding between two Crusniks, blood wasn't the focus of the feed. It was energy. And he had such a surplus that the blood she took really only served as a focal point for her to draw from. She pulled away less than a minute later, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand.

"Thanks."

He smiled at her before growing serious again. "What happened?"

"I don't even know where to begin. But Cardinal Francesco admitted to being behind the Konoha conspiracy."

Abel wanted to stand up for the severe man, but it made perfect sense that he would orchestrate such a project. "Did he say why?"

"We…were supposed to be weapons against the Methuselah." She replied, her fists clenching at her sides.

Abel's hand came down on her shoulder; it was a duel statement: he wanted to offer comfort, but at the same time to warn her that it was too soon to give way to personal anger. There were people…

"Sakura…have you…seen any civilians?" Abel asked.

She stopped dead in her tracks, "No…"

'Oh, God…the blood rain…' She thought.

"Abel…I don't think…" She began, unable to finish her phrase.

"There aren't."

Sakura stumbled back away from the chakra that threatened to topple her as Abel stepped forward, staring the Kyubi down as it threw the mangled body of a child at their feet.

"Monster!" Sakura screamed.

"No more than you." It sneered.

"Shut up!" She cried, her hair falling in a pink curtain around her face as her nails bit bloody crescents into the palms of her hands. "Nanomachine! Crusnik 05! Power output at fifty percent! Activate!"

She felt pure, unadulterated power flood her body. But there was also the grounding force of Abel that kept her from caving beneath the riot of emotion she had suppressed for so long. He kept her from drowning in that sudden lash. She felt her wings spread, her body shift, and her emotions settle.

She moved so fast even the Kyubi had no chance of evading or blocking the back-hand that sent it sprawling. And she was back on top of him before he had time to recover from the impact. She kicked up, sending him flying again. But this time he recovered, and managed to attack; his hands slashed down, sending jagged streaks of toxic chakra slamming into her torso.

She reeled backwards, a spray of blood painting the ground in front of her. However, its attack was _too _strong, and gave her just enough time to arch her back and land on her feet. Her eyes, shot with red-light, narrowed as she extended her hand, particles of crystallize blood materializing in her palm.

Beside her, Abel's body was engulfed in an electrical haze and she felt the air displaced by the sudden flap of his massive wings wash across her skin. The air crackled with the energy pulsing between them as he turned his gaze on the monstrosity. But he fully intended to let Sakura finish it.

The female Crusnik kicked off of the ground, bringing her bow down. The Kyubi's arms snapped up, catching the weapon in a cross-guard. Sakura smirked, pulling the string back and launching a bolt at point blank range. The blast carried her back several meters and she barely managed a landing on her feet as the dust around the Kyubi began to clear.

She was wholly unprepared for the black streak that shot at her from the debris cloud. She felt something blunt impact her torso with enough force to jackknife her off of her feet before she was sent flying.

Abel leapt up, easily catching her, though the impact against him sent him tumbling against a destroyed marble column. It shattered beneath their combined weight, dropping both of them to the ground.

"Abel!" Sakura cried, righting herself on her knees and cupping his cheek with her palm. "Are you okay?"

"Move!" He cried, shoving her aside as he kicked off of the ground with mere millimeters to spare between both of them and lethal red bolts of chakra.

Sakura managed to get her feet beneath her as she slid back, but when her eyes fell where he had once stood, he wasn't there…She didn't have time to register his voice from behind before he had sunk his hand deep into her back.

Sakura spun, ripping herself free from him and bringing her bow across its chest. It wasn't more than enough to make him stumble, but by then she had struck him again, slamming him against a block of up heaved cement. She pulled back the string of her bow, centering a bolt on him.

Its face turned up, but…the red eyes were gone, the jagged scars along his cheeks had disappeared…And…it was Naruto…crying…

She stopped, shaking as she demanded, "What is this?!"

"It's Naruto…" It replied with the same cold, dual voice. "Some part of him must have survived.

Sakura felt her muscles loose all the strength they had left as her arms fell back to her sides. She didn't see him move…

"No!" Abel's cry accompanied a burst of white-hot electricity that engulfed the demon, rendering it to a scorched corpse.

She just turned away from the body, her face hidden from him. "Let's go…Abel, we still have….have things that need to be done."

But he could smell blood…the tears of a Crusnik…

"You take the west front," She added, "I'll go east."

* * *

She drew back her hood, shaking her blonde hair free as she set her hazel eyes on the threat in front of her. Daggers gleamed in the firelight, each one finding its mark in the back of the unsuspecting Death Eaters.

But as she turned towards the fight she knew was so close, she had only one thought on her mind.

'I'll be there soon, Kakashi.'

TBC


	35. Chapter 35

_**Chapter Thirty-Five: Homecoming**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood. **_

Abel stopped, feeling a vaguely familiar presence skirt his skin. He turned, his gun at the ready, though something told him he wouldn't need it. She was a cloaked figure, distinguishable in sex based on her smell. And she had another scent on her: Sakura's.

"So…you saved her." He smiled.

"How can you be so sure?" She asked, stopping in front of him.

"If you'd wanted to kill her, you would have." He replied matter-of-factly.

The woman turned her head up, hazel eyes meeting his, as her red lips turned up in a smile.

"Why are you helping us?" He asked.

"To help her." Tsunade replied, throwing back the hood of her cloak.

"Is that why you found me?"

"Yes," She said, her eyes turned on the fire raging in front of them, "I have a favor to ask."

Abel nodded in quiet consent.

"Take care of her."

"Someone else made that request of me not too long ago." Abel told her.

Tsunade closed her eyes, a tired smile playing on her lips. Her mind wandered back to the silver-haired man in her arms, who had wanted nothing more than to simply rest. But he wouldn't allow himself even that until he had taken care of her…Her eyes snapped open, new determination finding root in her heart and steeling her.

"And you've done well." Tsunade responded.

"Why do I feel that's not the only reason you came here?"

"I simply intend to finish this." Tsunade said as she drew her hood back up and began to walk again.

* * *

Sakura let the shimmering helix of Methuselah blood wind around her, filling her and giving her strength to tear into the next rank. But something in the air suddenly struck her. She stopped, trying to remember where she knew it from.

Images of green forests and warm stone faces filled her mind…

"Tsunade-sama!" She cried, spinning on her heels and sprinting towards the fading energy signature.

* * *

Sasuke stood on the crumbling tower, overlooking the dark forces that continued to ravage the city beneath him. With that disgusting demon gone, he was free to take control, to cleanse the world. His red lips pulled up in a sadistic smirk, his eyes gleaming in the firelight.

He would finish it, end the damned world and craft it anew from the resultant ashes. And it would be his, and he would be its god, its very life giver. None would seek another at the risk of turning him away, because he was all they would have.

The screams of children and women did not break the silent death of the world that he now stood over. Because there was no one left to scream. No one to give final tribute to the wounded world as it bled the last, pitiful remnants of its life force out.

* * *

Caterina cried out as a shadow fell across them, long, glassy nails gleaming lethally in the moonlight. She threw herself against her body, wrapping her body around his as she waited for the pain, for the fading of her life. An explosion of color and sound flooded the tiny room as a warm spray fell across her cheek.

"Brother Orcini!" She cried in startled shock.

He just nodded, smiling gently as he pulled her and the young Pope to his feet.

"It took some time to find you." He explained as he flipped the Screamer down.

"That's okay!" Alessandro replied with a small smile.

The Inquisition member's hand came down on his shoulder, his smile widening and warming.

* * *

Sasuke's chakra focused; red and black and white mingling into a shade of concentrated gray. He spun it, molded it, forced it to conform to his will as the symbols around him began to shimmering with purple and orange fire.

He would call forth the Destroyer, the One, the Dark Harbinger of the Heavens, to finish the fight. To wipe away the filth of humanity and that blood soaked lust of the Methuselah. There would be nothing left, only his perfect will.

* * *

They were shadows among the ruins, moving in ways that were foreign and strange. That was their life, their training, their being in singular purpose. In singular fluidity. There was nothing left for them but this final battle and then…homecoming.

The decision was made freely; sacrifice was something they were used to. How often had they given before with the same intention? Only this time there was no earthly home to return to, no ties to bind them for the ultimate sacrifice that had settled and rooted in their hearts.

Death would be welcome relief; family, friends…they all waited past the veil that separated the living from the dead. And now, as they hung in that void, knowing they were running to death, they saw things their eyes had never before.

There was life still in the city, blue currents of light that shimmered and swam. That breathed. It had a will all its own, and they were separate of it, but they were seeking to merge with it, to be the instruments of its righteous judgment.

The ghosts of the dead and dying whispered to them, pushing away instinctual fear and fanning the flames of courage and resolution. They led them, a procession of manifested departed leading the physical, living shadows that would soon join them. They held the torch, they lit the way home.

* * *

Time slowed for Abel as the last row of creatures met with timely defeat and the finality of death.

That was what slowed it…the realization that even still, even there, amidst the blood and flames and bodies, there was life…but for that life to stand a chance, there was still much death, much debt, to be paid.

That was the price, he realized, the price of our stupidity, of our ignorance and our lust…

But God had provided a way, he reminded himself, a way to move forward even if they had to move back first.

Time moved forward.

* * *

Orochimaru heard the battle cry in his blood, calling him to a different kind of arms. He inhaled, smiling as he glanced up at the moon, stained red with the bloody light pouring from the city. But it was there still, and he knew it was still white beneath that veneer of crimson, that illusion.

He had been part of the despair for so long, he thought to himself, that now it was time to be part of the light that broke the clouds.

* * *

"I'm not asking you to follow me." Tsunade stated to the growing ring of shadowy figures.

"We're here of our own free will." One of them happily assured her, flashing her a thumbs-up.

"You all have a chance at other lives." She told them.

"We came here to assure that others have that chance."

"And more of you have survived?" She asked.

"Yes." A male replied.

"Then why you?"

"Lady Tsunade, haven't you learned?" The woman pulled back her hood, tossing wavy black hair back, "There isn't anything left for us."

"Sakura made something. So can you, Kurenai. What about you son?"

The kunoichi smiled sadly, shaking her head. "Shikamaru has promised to look after him. And I should like…to see my husband again."

Tsunade nodded, "If this is your choice, then follow me. And don't look back."

* * *

Sasuke stood up, smiling maniacally as insane left laughter flooded forth from his mouth. Pitch black chakra molded around him, swirling and flaring and moving as if to suggest it had a will of its own.

Far below him, Sakura stopped dead in her tracks, her head snapping up as she turned her eyes on him.

'Susanoo…' She thought in horror.

Something flickered familiarly in her peripherals and her eyes flickered to the left as a singular female leapt from a rooftop, making several bounds over the ruins of the city.

'L…Lady Tsunade!' She thought to herself as a ring of cloaked figures appeared from the shadows dancing around the tower, their hands linked.

Tsunade's arms came around Sasuke as she pulled him off of his feet. They fell, together, through the empty void of air. She smiled, pulling him close.

"Shhh…you don't have to fight anymore." She whispered.

Sakura felt the flare of chakra, felt raw power begin to pulse from the ring of figures. And now she knew them all…she knew all of their chakras…she knew them by name, face, heart…

She saw another blur twine with Tsunade…

"Orochimaru…" Tsunade trailed off as his arms came around both of them.

He smiled, "Let's go home, Tsunade. Together."

Sasuke smiled innocently in their embrace as white light began to flood the air around him. "Mom? Dad?"

Sakura cried out, running forward as the light grew, as their deaths were cemented. She felt a hand come around her wrist and yank her back with enough force to pull her completely off of her feet. Abel spun, pinning her to a marble statue and wrapping his wings around her, protecting her from the sudden shockwave of light and heat and swallowed them all.

TBC


	36. Epilogue

_**Epilogue: Tomorrow**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Trinity Blood. **_

Sakura knelt on the ground, running her fingers through the grass there. Her viridian eyes turned up sadly as she eyed the perfect ring of flowers and grass that had bloomed overnight at the site of their sacrifice. There was nothing left, of course…no bodies to bury, no blood to clean up and purify as a last right. Nothing…as if the flowers were the epitaph nature could offer when Sakura could give none.

She stood up, wiping away tears she hadn't even realized had begun to flow. She felt a pair of arms come around her, and she tensed without meaning to.

"I know you're mad at me." Abel whispered.

She shook her head, "No. I can't be mad at you. You saved my life."

He didn't reply as he held her, his chin on top of her head. He felt her tears soak through the sleeves of his coat.

Abel swallowed; he had learned the blonde's name from Caterina. Tsunade. He had done a little delving and had found its meaning: Mooring rope. A strength even in the gales of the sea…but she had been a rope for them in the storm of life. Right up until the end.

"What about…Cardinal..."

"He's not a Cardinal anymore." Abel told her.

She inhaled, unsure of how to feel before she replied, "And what will happen to him?"

"He's being tried on more than three hundred counts of murder. And the equipment in that Alpha panel confirms what the other evidence only alluded to. He's going to be convicted, Sakura."

She sighed; she couldn't hate him---she had found too much because of him. She had Abel…but she had also lost so much because of him. She didn't hate him…but she did blame him…But she also wanted a second chance for him…She knew, though, that the penalty for murder, in a singular count, was capital.

"I wonder, Abel, if there are others…"

Abel tensed, his heart in an icy fist. He had feared this…worried that those thoughts, harmless on their own, would lead her down a road of self-destruction and isolation. But she had to give her space and time, too. To deal with the loss and move on.

"But…you know, Abel, I have a life here. With you. I'm…I'm sick of chasing shadows. If they want me, they can come and find me."

He smiled, pulling her closer against his chest.

"Abel…I think I'm tired…" She sighed a moment later.

He didn't reply as he lifted her from the ground.

* * *

Caterina stepped into the dim room; she knew its layout by heart. She had been in there too many times late in the evening and in the early, dark morning to not. But she didn't need to navigate the pitch black void; there were several small embers glowing in his fireplace.

"Abel?" She called gently.

"Yes, Caterina?" He replied from the edge of his bed, his eyes catching the light as he glanced at her.

"How are you doing?" She asked, sitting down beside him.

"I'm alright." He told her, and she could hear the mixture of emotions in his voice. "The Pope?"

"He's tired," She replied, "But unharmed. I don't think that it's really sunk in that he doesn't have to live with Francesco's tyranny any longer."

"At the very least, that will be a happy realization." Abel responded.

Caterina's ruby red lips pulled up in a smile as she nodded.

"Is Sakura alright?" She asked a moment later, glancing at the young woman in his arms. She was balanced on his lap, her head against his chest and his arms supporting her.

"It was a long night for her." He replied, "But she'll be alright."

He reached up, brushing a stray lock of pink hair away from her face. Even in the dim light, though, Caterina could see opaque trails, the dried remnants of her tears. The woman sighed to herself; tears were a part of life, she reminded herself. They would pass, smiles would replace them.

"It's not over, Abel." Caterina said.

"It's never over, Caterina." He said, but his lips were still turned up. "But we've won _this_ battle. _This_ war."

She smiled, tilting her head up to look at his pale ceiling to give herself a moment to collect her thoughts.

"Will you stay with us, Abel?" She asked. She knew he had no reason to. He had sworn to protect the lives of humans against _Cain_. And he was dead. Abel had no real reason to continue with them.

"Of course, Caterina." He replied without missing a beat. "You're my home. You and the AX."

"And Sakura? She's not bound by the same oath that you are."

"I asked her about that not long ago. She says she wants this Caterina." He told her.

The woman in red nodded, letting her lips pull up. There was still a lot of work to be done; there always was. But there was more hope in the world than there had been in quite a few years. And she had friends, Vaclav and Hugue and Leon and Kate and The Professor, Abel and her younger brother. If they could make it to the end of the world and back again, they could bring peace to the warring nations.

"Get some sleep, Abel. We have work to do tomorrow." She told him as she stood up and slipped back out into the hall.

Abel nodded; somehow, that sounded…right.

He glanced down at the woman sleeping in his arms and leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him, cupping her hand to his cheek.

"You're up late." She commented with a small smile.

"I was just thinking about a few things." He replied.

"Like?" She asked.

"How beautiful you are."

Sakura felt a tear form at the corner of her eye and slide down her cheek. Abel's hand came up, his thumb wiping the bead away. "Get some sleep, love."

She nodded, letting his hand slide beneath hers and their fingers twine as she closed her eyes again.

Fin.


End file.
